The nature of an agrochemical determines its testing duration – Witness

Mr Jerome Agbesi Dogbatse, a Research Scientist at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), says the nature of an agrochemical determines the duration of its testing.

He said there was no policy at the Institute, where fertiliser had to be tested on mature cocoa for a minimum of two years on the field.

Mr Dogbatse, a subpoenaed witness for Mr Seidu Agongo, was speaking in his further cross-examination in the trial involving Dr Stephen Opuni, a former Chief Executive of COCOBOD, led by Mr Samuel Cudjoe, Counsel for Dr Opuni. 

Dr Opuni and Mr Agongo are facing 27 charges, including defrauding by false pretences, willfully causing financial loss to the State, money laundering, and corruption by a public officer in contravention of the Public Procurement Act. 

They have both pleaded not guilty to the charges and are on a GH¢300,000.00 self-recognizance bail each.  

He said there was no policy to the effect that fertilizer tested by CRIG had to be done in four cocoa-growing areas.

The witness agreed that the evaluation conducted by CRIG did not conclude with the statement of Dr Yaw Adu-Ampomah, a witness in the case, that the testing did not meet the testing standards and its efficacy could not be guaranteed.

He confirmed that Dr Adu-Ampomah reported the malpractice in the alleged testing of lithovit liquid fertiliser to EOCO 

He said before, he appeared at the Dr Adu-Ampomah Committee, he never knew Dr Adu-Ampomah had made a complaint to EOCO on the alleged malpractice regarding testing of lithovit.

The witness agreed that Dr Adu-Ampomah’s Committee Report did not contain the reevaluation report of lithovit.

Source: GNA