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General News of Sunday, June 9, 2019
Source: adomonline.com
2019-06-09
Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni, former CEO of COCOBOD
Key witness of the state in the trial of the former chief executive officer of COCOBOD, Dr. Stephen Opuni confessed his involvement in the purchase of fertilizer of a value of more than 268 million US dollars for the 2011/12 cocoa season through sourcing.
The witness, Dr. Yaw Adu-Ampomah's confession, quoted in advance by prosecutors, baderts that the practice of soul-lifting was unrelated to the Ghana Cocoa Board until the emergence of Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni as as CEO of the board.
Below are excerpts from the court proceedings:
Q: After holding positions at COCOBOD, you know the factors that affect the cocoa yield.
Ans: Yes my lord.
Q: Give us some of the factors.
Answer: If the chemicals are not applied in a timely manner. if rainfall is low; if the drought is severe; If the number of incidents related to the disease is high and uncontrolled at the appropriate time; if the phytosanitary incidents are equally important and poorly controlled; and poor agronomic practices are all factors that can affect yield.
Q: You mentioned more than 5 factors affecting cocoa yield and, as an expert, you will agree with me that no fact can be badociated with crop yield.
Ans: Yes my lord. All work together and so, if one of them is ignored, this can affect the performance.
Q: So you will agree with me that having enough fertilizer and applying it without the input of other factors will affect the yield.
Ans: Monseigneur, if the fertilizer is compromised, the yield will be affected.
Q: If you have a good fertilizer but an uneven rain distribution, this can affect the yield?
And, yes, my lord.
Q: In fact, if the fertilizer is good with good rainfall but there are pest incidents, this can also affect the yield.
Ans: Yes my Lord. There are several other factors
Q: Doctor, as an expert, you may have been aware of total cocoa production in Ghana since at least since you worked at COCOBOD as Assistant General Manager, A and QC.
Ans: Yes, my Lord
Q: You will agree with me that although Cocobod bought a lot of fertilizer during the 2011/2012 season, it was missing more than 140,000 metric tons.
Ans: Yes, my Lord. As I said, if the cocoa gets a high yield in a given year and if it does not pay attention, it will be reduced the following year. We had planned it and that 's why we increased fertilizer purchases.
Q: The question is this: despite the purchase of more fertilizer in 2011, there was an upcoming season missing from 1 million metric tonnes to more than 800 metric tonnes.
Ans: Yes, but that 's why I said that if cocoa trees did not get enough fertilizer, production could drop.
Q: Dr., in the 2012/2013 seasons, despite fertilizer production, total production again decreased
Ans: Yes, as I said, if a cocoa gives an unprecedented yield in 2010, it can reduce
Q: Dr, you can not attribute the fall to a single factor.
Ans: Yes, my lord but it was the major factor
Q: You know that in the first year of Dr. Stephen Opuni, cocoa production reached 896,221 tons while less than [sic] Fertilizers were purchased compared to the 2011/12 season.
Ans: My lord knows, the credit will go for the previous harvest season.
Q: So, Dr., with this badogy, if you're right, the 2016/17 yield of 969,511 metric tons should be attributed to the implementation of the 2015/16 cocoa campaign [which included the use of contentious Lithovit Liquid Fertilizer].
Ans: Yes my Lord
Q: You also know that the weather is always a factor.
Ans: Yes my lord
Q: Dr. Adu Ampomah, knowing the rain well, you will know the whole world el nino.
Ans: Yes my Lord
Q: It's an extreme and unusual climate.
Ans: Yes my Lord
Q: In fact, you are aware that this is a sub-feature of an extended test time.
Ans: Yes my Lord
Q: In 2014, the el nino climate was experienced in Ghana and affected agriculture in general.
Ans: My lord, I would not know.
Q: In fact, el Nino weather has had a negative impact on cocoa production in Ghana.
Ans: My lord, it's debatable.
Q: You informed this court that after your retirement from Cocobod in 2013, you were still involved in the cocoa industry.
Ans: Yes my Lord
Q: In fact, there was general information in the cocoa industry and the cocoa industry in Ghana that this phenomenon affected cocoa yield.
Ans: Yes, it can affect
Q: If indeed you were with the cocoa Abrabo pa that deals with the livelihoods of cocoa farmers, you would know it.
Ans: My lord, this is a weather situation that affects the west coast of Africa and the east coast of Latin America. This can affect performance sometimes.
Judge: Let's finish here for today.
Sam Kudjoe: My Lord, I wanted to arrive on a good note, but you let believe that I was late.
The meeting is adjourned until June 12, 2019, for the cross-examination to continue.
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