Dr Yaw Adu-Ampomah, the state’s third prosecution witness in the case involving previous COCOBOD CEO, Dr Stephen Opuni and entrepreneur Seidu Agongo, has admitted donating some 35 motorbikes to sustain the governing New Patriotic Party’s campaign in the Eastern Region ahead of the December 7 elections.
This came to light throughout his interrogation by Mr Nutifafa Nutsukpui, counsel for Mr Agongo, on Wednesday, 7 October 2020.
Dr Yaw Adu-Ampomah, who has actually been testifying since March 2019 in the ongoing trial, has come under intense pressure throughout interrogations, as legal representatives for Dr Opuni and Mr Agongo continually punched holes right into his testimonies versus their clients.
For instance, Dr Opuni’s advice, Mr Sam Codjoe, pointed out Dr. Adu Ampomah for perjury after the witness informed the court throughout cross-examination in May 2019 that the procurement method at COCOBOD for fertilizers had actually constantly been through an open tender process.
He pointed that COCOBOD usually advertises details products it needs in the newspapers for interested companies to place in proposal.
But Mr Codjoe generated, at least, 18 contract files sole-sourced at COCOBOD throughout Dr Adu-Ampomah’s period as Deputy Chief Executive, Agronomy as well as Quality Control.
Dr. Adu-Ampomah, who is currently the special advisor to the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, was the Deputy Executive of COCOBOD accountable of Agronomy as well as Quality Control from 2009 till his retirement in 2013.
He was, nonetheless, re-appointed after the then-candidate of the NPP, Nana Akufo-Addo, won the 2016 general elections.
Dr Adu-Ampomah led the transitional team for COCOBOD that discovered some alleged abnormalities in agreements awarded under Dr Opuni’s tenure as Chief Executive.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Dr Adu-Ampomah refuted being a card-bearing participant of the NPP.
He, however, admitted contributing some 35 motorbikes to sustain the party’s campaign in the Eastern Region ahead of the 7 December elections.
Dr Adu-Ampomah is estimated to have stated the rationale behind his contribution was to supply the party with the needed logistics to reach out to all communities in the area to spread the good works of the NPP over the past 3 years.
When Mr Nutifafa placed it to him that his evidence before the court is coloured by his political persuasion, Dr Adu Ampomah claimed: “No, my lord”.
“My evidence is guided by my being a Ghanaian and, as part of my civic responsibility, if anything is going against Ghana, it is my right to stand against it”.
Dr Adu-Ampomah has been released by the court and also the prosecution led by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, is expected to call a new witness today, 8 October 2020.
Source: Ghana Waves