Dr. Stephen Opuni<\/strong><\/p>\nThe form and nature of the Lithovit fertilizer
\nthat was tested by the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) was once again
\nthe subject of heated debate between lawyers for former Chief Executive Officer
\n(CEO) of Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod), Dr. Stephen Opuni, and the prosecution.<\/p>\n
This time, the three scientists at CRIG who
\nwere directly involved in the testing and evaluation of the fertilizer are
\nhaving different opinions on the nature of the fertilizer that was presented in
\n2013 for testing.<\/p>\n
While Dr. Alfred Arthur, the scientist who
\nreceived and tested the fertilizer at the time, claims it was powder, the then
\nhead of the soil science division, A. A. Afrifa, was not clear on the form and
\nnature of the fertilizer tested.<\/p>\n
While Mr. Afrifa said in one breadth that the
\nfertilizer was liquid when he appeared before a Cocobod Fact Finding Committee,
\nhe is now claiming that the same sample was \u2018fine powder\u2019 that was tested and a
\nreport issued.<\/p>\n
This, according to a former deputy Chief
\nExecutive in charge of Agronomy and Quality Control at Cocobod, Dr. Adu-Ampoma,
\nwho is the third prosecution witness in the trial of Dr. Opuni and businessman
\nSeidu Agongo, led the committee to conclude that Mr. Afrifa was lying to the committee.<\/p>\n
Cross-Examination
\n<\/strong><\/p>\nSamuel Codjoe, counsel for Dr. Opuni, in his
\ncross-examination of Dr. Adu-Ampoma, asked what Mr. Afrifa\u2019s response was when
\nhe was asked whether the fertilizer was \u2018liquid or solid.\u2019<\/p>\n
The witness told the court that Mr. Afrifa said
\nit was \u2018liquid\u2019 that was submitted but added that the committee found that Mr.
\nAfrifa never tested any sample and ever saw what was sent to CRIG for testing
\nby Seidu Agongo.<\/p>\n
He said it was Dr. Alfred Arthur who received
\nand tested the product and he confirmed to the committee that the product was \u2018powder\u2019
\nand that was confirmed by the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) which states
\nthe nature and form of the product as powder.<\/p>\n
This, the witness said, was the reason the
\ncommittee found that Mr. Afrifa was lying to the committee.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy lord the committee found that Mr. A. A.
\nAfrifa never tested anything. It was rather Dr. Arthur who worked on the
\nproduct and the committee found that Mr. Afrifa was lying to the committee
\nbecause the material safety data sheet said the product was powder. Dr. Arthur
\nwho received the product and worked on it said it was powder; the former
\ndirector of CRIG Dr. Amoah who first received the sample said it was powder and
\nit was only Mr. Afrifa who never saw the product, who never worked on it who
\nwas saying it was liquid,\u201d Dr. Adu-Ampoma stated.<\/p>\n
The witness further quoted from the committee\u2019s
\nreport where he said Mr. Afrifa had said \u201cthe Lithovit itself is a powder. What
\nhe brought to us was in plastic containers\u201d adding that when the committee
\nmembers asked him if it was powder or liquid Mr. Afrifa said \u201cif you look at it
\nyou will realise it is just like sand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is why I said the committee realised Mr.
\nAfrifa was lying. If you look at his last statement he said it looks like sand
\nyet he says it is liquid,\u201d the witness explained.<\/p>\n
Mature Cocoa<\/strong><\/p>\nMr. Codjoe then asked the witness whether Dr.
\nFranklin Amoah, a former Executive Director of CRIG in a
\nletter on a report on Lithovit said the fertilizer could be applied on mature
\ncocoa trees based on similarities with some other fertilizers already in use.<\/p>\n
The witness said the mode of application as
\nindicated in the report says it should be applied 50 grams per litre which
\nshows that the product was powder and not liquid.<\/p>\n
Hearing continues on December 5.<\/p>\n
BY Gibril Abdul Razak<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dr. Stephen Opuni The form and nature of the Lithovit fertilizer that was tested by the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) was once again the subject of heated debate between lawyers for former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod), Dr. Stephen Opuni, and the prosecution. This time, the three scientists at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":718693,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-753905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\n
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