Reverend Father Dr. Emmanuel Opkoti Kofi Oddoye, former Deputy Executive Director of Cocoa Research Institute (CRIG) says he was put before a tribunal at Ghana Cocoa House for allegedly withholding information.
According to him, the said information was delivered to his Executive Director at the time, Dr. Franklin Manu Amoah, but he later denied receipt of it.
The development resulted in Rev. Oddoye being summoned before what he described as a “tribunal at Ghana Cocoa House (COCOBOD)” and the way the questions were being thrown at him, and with denials from Dr. Amoah, “to cut a long story short, I decided to accept the blame, after saying a short prayer as a Man of God.”
He said this to the Land Division of the Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Aboagye Tandoh, while being led in evidence by Benson Nutsukpui on Monday, this week.
Rev. Fr. Oddoye, fourth Defence Witness (DW4), said this information was in relation to the testing of lithovit fertiliser, which was listed with other fertilisers that have passed the test.
He added that after facing the Sanhedrin, he was interdicted for six months and was on two-thirds of his salary. He was later suspended for three months without salary.
The witness was subsequently transferred to the Bole substation before he finally went on retirement.
He indicated that the tribunal members included the Chief Executive of COCOBOD, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, Dr Alfred Arthur and Dr Amoah (2nd and 3rd Prosecution Witness PW1).
Rev. Fr. Dr. Oddoye said because of how he was brutally ousted from office, he could not remember most of the events that took place, as he blotted them out of his mind due to bitter memories.
Rev. Fr. Dr.Oddoye was subpoenaed by the court to testify for and on behalf of Seidu Agongo and Agricult Ghana Limited.
Seidu Agongo and Agricult Ghana Limited have been charged with Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni, former Chief Executive of COCOBOD for causing financial loss to the state, defrauding by false pretense, contravention of Public Procurement Act and corruption of public officer.
Cross examination
Q. Please give your full name to this Court?
A. Rev Fr. Dr Emmanuel Opkoti Kofi Oddoye.
Q. Where do you live?
A. I reside in MmaiJorr, off the new road leading to the Borteyman’s Sports Complex
Q. What work do you do?
A. At the moment I am a full time priest with the Anglican Church of Ghana in the Diocese of Accra.
Q. Before this, do you do any other work?
A. So for about a year, I was president of the Anglican University College of Technology in Nkoranza in the Bono East region. And prior to that, I had worked with CRIG from April 1, 2003 until June 16, 2021 which marked my 60th birthday.
Q. So you retired from working at CRIG on your 60th birthday?
A. That’s correct.
Q. Are canon priests?
A. Yes. A canon is a Senior Priests at the Anglican Church
Q: Now that you are a senior canon at the Anglican Church, what are your duties as a canon?
A. The canon is form part of what is known as Cathedral chapter and they advise the Bishop of the diocese
Q. As a canon do you Pastor any congregation of Anglican Church?
A. A canon remains principally the priest and currently I am the priest for St James Anglican Church at Anyaa.
Q. Tell us a little bit about your education?
A. I spent 7 years in Achimota from 1973 through to 1980. O-leval and A level.
Q. Before your O level and A level, where did you go to school?
A. My primary education was at Association International School, in the Airport residential area. My lord, by virtue of my father’s job he lived in a public bungalow and that was the nearest school.
Q. After your 7 years in Achimota school, where did you go?
A. I proceeded to the faculty of Agriculture of the University of Ghana, Legon, where I graduated with BSC Agric in Honors in Animal Science.
Q. So after that, did you do any further studies?
A. Yes. The three year degree course became 4 years because of students’ unrest, so we completed in 1984 Instead of 1983. After two years of national service, I got a scholarship to Cambridge University in the UK, where I studied for an Mphil in Animal Nutrition. This was between 1986 and 1987, but the degree was awarded in February 1988.
Q. After that did you do any further academic work?
A. While working for Animal Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSRI) it became necessary to pursue a PHD program. So, I went back to the University of Ghana and to the faculty of Agric for this programme. And this was between 1996 and 2001.
Q. And what was the end product of that academic work?
A. My lord the end product was a PhD in Animal Science, awarded by the University of Ghana
Q. And after this PhD, now tell this court the various places you have worked in your working career?
A. If I may, my working career was inter-spared with academic work. So the first place of work for national service was – Presbyterian Secondary School in Teshie, from 1984 to 1986. The next place was Villa Farms near Oyarifa, from January 1988 till June 1990,
Sydal Farm at Ashaiman from July 1990 until December 1993. And then the Animal Research Institute from February 1994 to March 2003. The Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, CRIG, from April 2004 until June 2021.
Q: While you worked with CRIG, which station were you posted to?
A. Initially, I was at the Head office in Akyim Tafo working specifically at the New Product Development Unit. In January 2006, I was transferred to head the CRIG substation at Bole in the Savanna region. In January 2009 I was again transferred to the CRIG – substation at Bonsu.
In September 2016, I was elevated to the position of Deputy Executive Director as a result of which I had to move to the directorate at the head office (AkyimTafo). Unfortunately I had a few problems with the powers that be, therefore, after six months of interdiction on 2/3 salary, followed by three months suspension with no salary, I was once again in May 2019, transferred to the Bole substation from where I retired from active service.
Q. You told this court that you were elevated into deputy executive director of which institute?
A. CRIG
Q. Again you said you had some problems with the powers that be. Which years is that?
A. It was in July 2018
Q. Now, being my witness can you tell this court briefly what the problem was about?
A. It is related to this case in a way. And had to do with some arbitrations that went on while this case was ongoing. To cut it short, I was accused of withholding information from that process.
Q. Now, do you know the parties to the arbitration you’re talking about?
A. My lord, as I said, I knew it was related to this case so I am assuming that it is the same parties.
Q. And the supposed information that you are alleged to have withheld, which parties are you alleged to have withheld that information from?
A. The information was requested by the Chief Executive of Ghana Cocoa Board, so I will assume that he will be on the part of the prosecution.
Q. Kindly, share with this honourable court what was the information requested?
A. My lord, the Chief Executive requested a report on the testing of lithovit fertilizer. My responses through the Executive Director of GRIG at the time, Dr Franklin Manu Amoah (PW1), was that even though data had been collected, no formal reports on the testing had been written.
All that the Scientists gave me to work with as the chairman of the committee for testing chemicals and machine CTCN as at that time was a list of the chemical that had passed the test. I, therefore, felt it was not proper to write a report on only Lithovit.
Q. What was the reactions to the powers that be to your response?
A. As I said because there was an Executive Director at the institution, I gave this information to him, expecting that he will pass it on to the Chief Executive of Ghana Cocoa Board. Apparently, he did not do so. So I was summoned to face what can best be described as a tribunal at Ghana Cocoa House. And my lord, the way the questioning was going, and with some denials by my immediate boss, to cut a long story short, I decided to accept the blame after saying a short prayer as a man of God.
Q. Now, you said you passed this information on to the Executive Director at the time?
A. Yes.
Q. And you mentioned him as Dr Franklin Manu Amoah (PW1)?
A. Yes.
Q. Was that the first time that Dr Franklin Amoah acted as the Executive Director of CRIG?
A. No. My lord, I can’t remember the exact date but Dr Amoah was Executive Director at some stage and he was replaced by Dr Gilbert Anim Kwapong, but then in January 2017, Dr Amoah was reappointed and was Executive Director until the end of July 2018, I think.
Q. Was Dr Amoah in active service of Cocobod when he was appointed the Acting Director the second time?
A. My lord no, again I am not sure of the exact date but I know for a fact that Dr Amoah had retired from COCOBOD at the age of 60 like anyone else.
Q And during this second time of Dr Amoah as the Executive Director of CRIG who was the Deputy Chief Executive Agronomy and Quality Control?
A. During that period, Dr Yaw AduAmpomah was the Deputy Chief Executive of Agronomy and Qualify Control.
Q. You told this court that you appeared before a tribunal, can you tell the court who the members of the tribunal were?
A. I cannot remember every single person, but prominent among them were the CE of Cocobod, his three deputy Chief Executives, the Executive Director GRIG, and then some of my Scientists at Cocoa Research have become involved.
Q. Sir, because of the nature of this case can you give us the names you remember, but who was the Chief Executive?
A. I believe he is still the Chief Executive
Q. And his name is?
A. Boahen Aidoo or something like that.
Q. Have you ever hear the name Hon Joseph Boahene Aidoo?
A. Yes I have, as I said, he was and still Chief Executive of Ghana Cocoa Board. I have met him a few times.
Q. Do you remember the names of the three Deputy Chief Executives you said were there?
A. Definitely, Deputy Chief Executive Agronomy and Qualify Control of Cocoa who I met normally with, Dr Yaw Adu-Ampomah, the rest to be honest I can’t remember their names.
Q. Now, sir some of your Scientists were also there. Do you remember any of them?
A. There was Dr Alfred Arthur, he had been attending the arbitration so he brought the request through the Executive Director of CRIG for the report. And my lord, he was accompanied by his head of department Mr A.Y. Akrofi.
Q. So, while you cast your mind back to 2017, what was your position then in December 2017 and where were you working then?
A. My lord, having assumed office as deputy Executive Director of GRIG in September 2017 as at December 2017 I was still at post.
Q. By the way, you are a native of La?
A. Yes.
Q. So cast your mind back to December 2017, did you have any course to have some interaction with CID of the Ghana police?
A. My lord, I will not know whether it was December 2017, per say, but at the beginning of 2017 there was a whole lot of trouble in the court case concerning Lithovite and as a result, gentlemen from the police service, specifically the CID and EOCO as well, paid several visits to the Cocoa Research Institute seeking information
Q. Sir, can you remember giving a statement to any of them?
A. To be honest I cannot remember but that is not to say it was not possible. It has been a while so I left office abruptly in July 2018 and that was about almost 6yrs now and because of the nature of my removal there are lot of things that have crossed my mind. They are very bitter memories and I don’t want to remember them.
Q. Look at this document and see if that is your signature?
A. Yes, I recognise the signature as well as my handwriting
Q. On which documents is your handwriting?
A. 52/2017.
Q. What is the heading of that document?
A. It’s a police statement form (It says statement)
Q. And who wrote it?
A. I wrote the statement.
Q. And who signed it?
A. I also signed.
Q. You told this court that you were appointed deputy Executive Director in 2016.
A. Yes.
Q. Did any appointment come with that, you’re being deputy Executive Director?
A. Yes, shortly after I assumed office, there were several issues to do with the testing of chemicals and machines and as a result, the ten Executive Director of CTIG Dr Anim Kwarpong asked me to chair a committee for the testing of chemicals and machines – CTCM.
Q. What does the CTCM do?
A. The CTCM is more or less the umbrella body which supervises the testing of all chemicals and machines submitted to CRIG.
The actual work is done by Scientists to whom we allocate these materials depending on their area of expertise when the materials are brought to CRIG for testing.
When testing is complete, the reports are also vetted by the same committee.
Q. With avoidance of any doubt tell this honorable court, the testing of lithovite was completed before your were appointed as deputy’s executive director and chairman of CTCM
A. That’s correct
Q. And you told this police this. That’s correct?
A. Yes.
Q. You stated that there were some issues involving the testing of chemicals and fertilizers shortly after you were appointed
A. Yes
Q. Exhibit 18 is the Adhoc disciplinary committee report on the testing of some fertilizer
A. that’s correct
Q. That letter is signed by dr Gilbert Anim Kwarpong, the executive director at the time. Correct?
A. Yes. That’s correct.
Q. Attached to that letter, is the report of the committee which investigated that testing of which you were the chairman. Is that also correct?
A. That’s also correct.
Q. Sir, and the issue was whether Cocoa Nti fertilizer was properly submitted and tested between 2013 and 2016. That’s correct?
A. Yes
Q. So, tell this honourable court, you stated this morning that when you assumed duty there were some issues regarding testing so the Executive Director asked you to chair the CTCM
A. That’s correct
Q. The issue about testing that you testing that you talked about does it in any way related to exhibit 18 as I have shown to you?
A. Yes. It is
Q. Look at Exhibit H. That is an attachment in Exhibit H. Adu Ampomah committees report a letter signed by you,
A. The letter bears my signature
Q. Sir, it is addressed to Andrews Yaw Akrofi, is that correct?
A. Yes.
Q. Dated September 27, 2017.
A. Correct.
Q. The 2nd paragraph states that there are no laid down protocols as such. With the advent of testing of chemicals and machines at CRIG, Scientists in the various divisions evolve their own protocols based on standard scientific procedures do you still stand by that assertion
A. My lord, I believe as at the time that was the case in September 2017.
Q. You went on to say that, these methods differ in various scientific divisions and have not been static. Do you still stand by that?
A. Yea, I still stand by that.
Q. And you went on “they are reviewed from time to time based on increase from Ghana Cocoa board, …management, …..” do you still stands by that?
A. Yes.
Q. Cast your mind back and tell this court what occasioned the writing of this letter, September 22, 2017.
A. As the heading implies Re: Query: I believe for one to whom this document was addressed. Mr Andrews Yaw Akrofi had received a query from the deputy Chief Executive Agronomy and Quality Control on some reports they had submitted.
My lord, the query was copied to the Executive Director CRIG and as such we also got a copy of the response. Based on the content of his response to the query, the then executive director of CRIG Dr F.M. Amoah indicated that, we needed to point out certain things to Mr Akrofi.
So I drafted the letter on his behalf, he reviewed it and it was a long time but I believed he was not at the office when the letter was to be dispatched so he asked that I sign on his behalf which I did.
Q. But, you signed the letter as the deputy executive director for the Executive Director
AZ that’s correct
Q. Was it on his instructions?
A. Yes.
Q. So was he aware of the content of the letter?
A. As I said he saw the draft and approved it before I signed it.
Q. Cast your mind back and see if you can remember a particular product on which the query was issued
A. I cannot remember per say, but Mr Akrofi is a Plant Pathologist and, therefore, it is likely to have been a fungicide.
Q Mr Akrofi did not test Lithovit liquid fertilizer?
A. That’s true. Mr Akrofi is not a sole scientist and it will be irregular for him to have been sent a fertilizer to test
Q. Sir, on the same day, September 22, 2017, you find that letter a similar one. That’s correct and who is it addressed to?
A. It is addressed to Mr Ishmael Amoako Atto, a research scientist through the head of his division.
Q. It was also on the testing of Agrochemicals that’s also correct?
A. Yes it is correct.
Q. Briefly tell this court the background to your signing of this letter?
A. It’s been a long time but it is obvious that the content of this one and the one you showed to me previously are the same. It is the addressee (the one to whom the letter is addressed to ) which has changed. The particular circumstances I cannot recall, but Mr Amoako Atta is also a pathologist and it is likely he may have been involved in the testing of the chemical.
Q. Now, with these two letters forming the background tell this court, as at 2017, what was the procedure for scientists in the testing of agrochemicals and machines?
A. As I remember chemical or machines would be sent to Ghana Cocoa board and to the office of the Deputy Chief Executive Agronomy and Qualify Control.
He would then write to CRIG informing us as such. On receipt of the letter, CRIG will dispatch a technician to go to the head office to collect the samples.
Q. When the Executive Director receives the letter what does he do?
A. When the Executive Director receives the letter, he minutes it to the chairman of the CTCM who then minutes it to the technician who is responsible for collecting the samples. There were two minutes one to the technician who will go and collect the sample and the other minute to the head of the division, which will test the chemical.
Q. Are there any issues in relation to payments?
A. Yes. There are
Q. How is the payment done and by who?
A. The testing division submits a budget for the test. The budget is forwarded to the company.
Q. How is the budget forwarded to the company?
A. The chairman of the CTCM will write a letter forwarding the bill to the company involved through the office of the Deputy Chief Executive agronomy and Qualify Control with a copy to the accounts manager CRIG.
Q. When you say, the bill let me understand, do you know what an invoice is?
A. I do
Q. Does it play any role in this whole transaction, an invoice?
A. I believe I have mixed things up a-bit. The budget from the testifying division goes to account and the account that prepares the invoice which is then forwarded to the company.
Q. When this bill is prepared and forwarded to the company, what happens after that?
A. My lord, the company is required to make full payments
Q. What happens when the company has made full payment?
A. After full payment has been made, the accounts department will inform the chairman of CTCM who then gives the testing division the green lights to start the test.
Q. So when the scientist complete the test what do they do?
A. When the scientist completes their work, they forward a copy of the draft report to the chairman of CTCN?
Q. And what does the CTCM chairman do when he received the dart report?
A. The chairman of the CTCN convenes a meeting of the committee to review the report.
Q. And when satisfied what do they do?
A. Normally, even when a report is good, there are bound to be few typographical errors and the likes. The department of the scientist who presented the report is requested to effect all those corrections and submits a final copy of the report. The chairman of the CTCM write and signs a covering letter and the final report is sent to the Deputy Chief Executive Cocobod Agronomy and Quality Control.
Q. Is the Executive Director of CRIG do anything in terms of the report after the CTCM committee submits it to him?
A. Indeed, the Executive Director have a look at the final report and it is only when he has given his approval that the report is dispatched.
Q. Now, at CRIG, for the time you served as a Deputy Executive Director, does CRIG keep files on the individual products tested?
A. My lord, they did but all files relating to say fertilizer were on one bulky files so if you want an information on anyone material (particular product) it requires a lot of work
Q. So, at the time you got to the Deputy Executive Director and you were writing your police statement did you had access to some of these files?
A. Yes. I had a cross to every information
Q. So your statement to the police was based on what was on the files?
A. Yes that’s correct.
Q. Now, when the police CID or the EOCO officials came to talk to you cast your mind back and tell this court what they were trying to find out?
A. If my memory serves me right, I believe they were trying to find out whether a certain fertilizer known as lithovit was properly submitted and tested and a report issued. They also were interested in whether the fertiliser was liquid or any other forms. These were the two things if I remember.
Q. Have you seen the letter Exhibit 5?
A. Yes
Q. What is the date of that letter?
A. July 7, 2017
Q. It is signed by you. Correct?
A. That’s correct
Q. And it’s headed “Renewal of CRIG certificates for pesticides, fertilizers and spraying machines for 2018?”
A. That’s correct
Q. And you signed that on behalf of the Executive Director?
A. Yes
Q. Who was the Executive Director as of that date?
A. The executive director was Dr FM Amoah (PW1)
