Lawyer Nutifafa Nutsukpi, counsel for the second and third accused persons in the ongoing trial of Dr Stephen Opuni, former COCOBOD CEO and Seidu Agongo, businessman, says Yaw Osafo-Maafo, the former Senior Minister directed the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to take over the investigation because he was displeased about the investigations being done by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
He explained that the former Senior Minister in his quest to get the accused persons prosecuted brought in the CID because the investigations by EOCO did not implicate the accused.
At the final cross-examination of Chief Inspector Thomas Prempeh Mercer, the investigator who doubles as the seventh prosecution witness, Lawyer Nutifafa Nutsukpi indicated that the former Senior Minister did everything within his power to get the former COCOBOD boss and two others prosecuted even though the facts available in the case did not support his cause.
“I put it to you finally that when EOCO concluded their investigations, they had no basis to charge A2 and A3 and this displeased Mr. Osafo Maafo that is why you were brought in to charge and prosecute at all cost,” Lawyer Nutifafa Nutsukpi told witness Mercer.
The witness responded, “My Lord, so far as this investigation is concerned.
EOCO had not completed its investigations.
And My Lord, it had to take additional work through myself, the Unit Commander and other team members whom I can describe as crack investigators to unravel the mystery behind the investigation of Lithovit foliar fertilizer.”
The lawyer pushed further, “Sir, I put it to you that the only additional work your team did was to fill in the blank statement forms that you had received as part of the docket from EOCO.”
Chief Inspector Mercer countered, “My Lord, that is not correct.”
Dr. Stephen Opuni and Seidu Agongo are facing 27 charges including willfully causing financial loss to the state and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.
They have both pleaded not guilty to the charges and each is on a GH¢300,000 self-recognizance bail.
The prosecution closed the state’s case against the accused persons after counsel for the second and third accused persons ended cross-examination of the seventh prosecution witness, Chief Inspector Thomas Prempeh Mercer.
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