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General News on Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Source: clbadfmonline.com
2019-05-29
Former Deputy Director General of COCOBOD, Dr. Yaw Adu-Ampomah
The statements of the Prosecution witness, Dr. Yaw Adu-Ampomah, that the Ghana Cocoa Council (COCOBOD) is not using any single offer to procure fertilizer and other agrochemicals, have been shot in court.
Dr. Adu-Ampomah, former Deputy Director General of COCOBOD for Agronomy and Quality Control, told the court that the public procurement process had always been open.
These, he said, were carried out through newspaper advertisements, in which the required product is specified, and the companies registered by CRIG interested were required to support their offer with documents.
However, it was revealed Tuesday in court that his complaint was false.
He testified in the case in which a former COCOBOD CEO, Dr. Stephen Opuni, as well as businessman Seidu Agongo and his company Agricult Ghana Limited are judged to have caused a loss. financial backing to the state.
Mr. Samuel Cudjoe, the first defendant's lawyer, continuing his cross-examination, bombarded the witness with documentary evidence of the correspondence exchanged between COCOBOD and the Public Procurement Officer, to which he was a party, during which the sole fertilizer supplier requests had been approved.
At least 18 documents, letters from COCOBOD to the PPA requesting authorization of single-source fertilizers and various agrochemicals and letters of approval from the AMF, were presented in evidence through the witness.
Dr. Adu-Ampomah, Deputy Director General of COCOBOD between 2009 and 2013, retired and returned to the institution in 2017 as Deputy Director General before moving on to the Ministry of Food and Food. Agriculture in October 2018 as advisor to the sector minister. on the cocoa business.
His main testimony on domestic bids failed because it was proved in court that letters addressed to the PPA requesting the exclusive purchase of fertilizer had been written and signed by Dr. Adu-Ampomah himself and were also copied. other letters.
The only source of fertilizer supply occurred between 2011 and 2013, as well as several others in 2018, when he was reengaged to COCOBOD.
In one of these letters, the witness wrote to PPA on March 27, 2018 to sell to a sole source fertilizer costing over $ 35 million, insecticides for over $ 21 million and fungicides for more than $ 34 million. millions of dollars. His application was approved by the authority on April 5, 2018.
"Dr. Adu Ampomah, when you said that before you buy fertilizer, you had to advertise and specify the product they needed, you were not honest," asked him Samuel Cudjoe.
"My Lord, I was truthful. All these letters were written with awards as the entity's tender committee had met and decided otherwise the APP would not have been authorized He replied.
Defense counsel insisted further: "In fact, I am telling you that all fertilizer, fungicide and insecticide purchases are made through single or unique suppliers".
But the witness insisted, "No, my Lord, this is not the case. Before prices are determined, the entity's tender committee would have met and the choice of a sole source or sole source will be motivated. "
"Doctor Adu-Ampomah, I tell you that all the fertilizers bought at COCOBOD have been subcontracted," explained the lawyer, to which he replied: "My Lord, some of them they are not outsourced. The entity's tender committee always negotiates the awards. "
The case was postponed until June 4, 2019 for continuation.
Dr. Opuni and Mr. Agongo have been charged with 27 counts of indictment, including those who have deliberately caused financial losses to the state, an offense under the law on public procurement, scams under false pretenses, money laundering and bribing a public official.
The two pleaded not guilty to all charges and were released on bail of 300,000 GH ¢ each.
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