General News of Friday, 16 March 2018
Source: adomonline.com
2018-03-16
Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni was the former COCOBOD CEO
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has assured the former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr. Stephen Opuni, of their total support following the leveling of charges against him.
The Attorney General and Minister for Justice Gloria Akuffo has charged Dr. Stephen Opuni and one Seidu Agongo for shortchanging the state by slapping them with a total of 27 charges.
The case will be up for hearing at the High Court in Accra on Friday, 23rd March 2018.
Dr. Opuni had his assets including his accounts, frozen by the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) in February 2017.
Although reasons for the seizure were not officially communicated, sources say the EOCO is seeking to investigate the entire period that Dr. Opuni served as CEO of that critical state agency.
Specifically, government intends to probe some supposed fraudulent multi-million dollar contracts he’s believed to have signed before leaving office.
But reacting to the issue, the NDC National Organiser, Kofi Adams believes the suit filed against the former CEO would amount to nothing because he will come out victorious.
According to Mr. Adams, some of the counts are outrageous, ridiculous and politically motivated to tarnish the hard-won reputation of the former FDA boss.
“It’s just a calculated attempt to tarnish the big man’s image but we won’t allow them to go ahead with their scheme to destroy the man. We want him to know that we are solidly behind him and we will make sure that he comes out victorious”, he said on Accra based radio station, Neat FM as monitored by Adomonline.com.
Mr. Adams said NDC executives and farmers whose lives have been impacted by the work of the former COCOBOD CEO will also rise to his defence adding that he has done nothing wrong to deserve such treatment from government.