Information reaching Daily Guide indicates that Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni, the immediate past Chief Executive of Ghana Cocobod, has been invited by the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) for questioning.
The embattled former Cocobod boss was reportedly summoned and appeared before EOCO on Friday after a said botched attempt to travel out of the country through the Kotoka International Airport.
Opuni Blocked
Dr. Opuni's passport is said to have been seized by the security agencies as he was quizzed by officials of the anti-graft body on a wide range of issues, including illegal massive corruption in the cocoa sector.
Although officials at EOCO were tight-lipped when Daily Guide contacted them, deep throat sources insist the former Food and Drug Authority (FDA) boss was 'freed' late Friday with the option to be recalled for further questioning.
It is unclear what the crux of the over six hours grilling was, but the source claims it is in connection with the rot at the Cocobod where he had been the CEO for about four years.
A source described the rot as very 'awful' as contracts were reportedly awarded without laid down regulations and fertilizers purportedly smuggled to neighboring countries for individuals interest.
However, earlier attempts by Daily Guide to get official corroboration of the story proved futile as EOCO officials including its head justice Tsar would not speak.
An EOCO staff who only gave her name as Betty told the paper that she "does not know" that Dr. Opuni had been at EOCO, neither would she assist this reporter to seek clarity from her bosses as she claimed they were locked up in a meeting.
Opuni Sacked
On January 12, 2017, government ordered Dr. Opuni to vacate his post and hand over to Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Minister-designate for Food and Agriculture.
His dismissal was hailed by workers at the Cocobod as well as NDC activities who believe he is arrogant and corrupt, with some workers suffering dismissals for being tagged as New Patriotic Party (NPP) sympathizers.
Already, unionized workers in the cocoa industry are calling for investigations into alleged dubious deals by the sacked CEO.
The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) and the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) alleged that Dr. Opuni sold some of the cash crops and kept the proceeds.
According to them, such deals had cost the country in excess of 10 million, adding that the monies could have been used to develop the country.
Kingsley Nkansah, General secretary of GAWU, in April last year, disclosed at a meeting with journalists that "thousand of tonnes of cocoa are sold by the management of Cocobod which is hidden from the government and for which no proper accounts are maintained either. This is known as Special Sample Residue."
He continued, "The Special Sample Residue is done by drawing an average of 0.3kg of cocoa Marketing Company. So for every 1,000 tonnes of cocoa, they [management] get on the average 4.6875 tonnes, an equivalent of 75 bags."
Deals
The workers said information on the deal was passed on to a former Employment and Labour Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, and the former Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, on the underhand dealings at Cocobod, as well as the former Commissioner on Human Rights and Administration Justice (CHRAJ), but all to no avail.
The Unions also alleged that Opuni offered an illegal contract to a former employee called Harrison Idris Hassan, who was the past chairman of Cocobod Local Union, at its head office and Supreme Consultative Council, to transact cocoa business, even though he was not qualified.
Workers who questioned the credibility and the rationale behind the formation of the in-house union were allegedly victimized through transfers to distant locations.
The workers added that the issue of transfers had gravely affected union leaders and other clerical staff members, hence the appeal for investigations into the saga.
But Chairman of the Supreme Consultative Council of Cocobod, Harrison Idris Hassan, who had also been accused of wrong-doing, addressing the media on Thursday in Accra on behalf of members of the newly-formed Cocoa Industry Workers union (CIWU), said the report that cocoa workers had called for a probe into the allegations raised against Dr. Opuni in particular and the management of Cocobod in general, could not be true.
"We are not part of what is alleged by ICU and GAWU," Mr. Idris said, protecting Opuni's reign of terror at Cocobod which epitomized dismissals and transfers.
According to him, ICU and GAWU just want to gain the attention of the incoming CEO of Cocobod and to create division between staff and their CEO-to-be.
FDA Boss
Opuni was promoted from FDA where his reign of terror was cut short crippling pharmaceutical companies that he suspected the owners are not sympathetic to the cause of the National Democratic Congress (NDC ).
One company that suffered massive assaults in the hands of Opuni was Tobinco Pharmaceutical Company.
One of his lackeys, a certain Delese Mimi Darko, who is said to be an NDC woman is allegedly lobbying to be appointed FDA boss using her father's connection.
Other people Dr. Opuni purportedly used to harass pharmaceutical companies were Thomas Amedzro, Nathaniel Nkrumah and Asante Boateng.
The current FDA boss, Hudu Mogtari, husband of Joyce Bawa-Mogtari, John Mahama's campaign Communication Director and former deputy Minister of Transport, is on his way out.
Source: Daily Guide�
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Why is He (Dr opuni) trying to travel abroad?
Why is Daily Guide writing all this on the basis of some "source" without any official collaboration from EOCO? Why do Gina and Freddy Blay continue to delight themselves this way? To sell their newspaper or what? To predjudice the case before it ends to satisfy Kennedy Adjapong? It will be your turn one day and you'll suffer terribly for it, mark it on your office wall!
OPUNI SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED SERIOUSLY AND WE COMAND EOCO FOR ARRESTING HIM
Days of reckoning, they always lurk around the corner. Hmm! There is a reason why we all need to be circumspect in all our dealings with people. Opuni did realise his Day of reckoning would soon turn up. Many in his party didn't like him and have even said so on air. HMMMM. We must all learn our lessons.
All this because Ken Adjapong wants him in Jail... eii Ghana witch hunt paa nie...
In the abundance of oil the fuuul can't afford electricity
In the abundance of resources the fuuul is paying more taxes
Ghanaians don't need biased and toothless eoco to mishandled Opuni. The NPP special prosecutor will deal with him.Eoco park somewhere.
SO WHERE WERE YOU RUNNING TO?NANA ADDO WILL DEAL WITH YOU AND YOUR LORDINA MAHAMA.YOUR ENTERTAINMENT ALLOWANCE AND DINNER BILLS AT THE END OF EVERY MONTH FROM MOVENPICK WAS EVEN MORE THAN GHS20,000.COCOBOD WAS PAYING ALL THIS FOR YOU AT THE END OF EVERY MONTH WHICH IS NOT FROM YOUR SALARY.WHY SHOULD YOU STEAL AGAIN?YOU HAVE TO GO TO JAIL FOR YOU TO LEARN LESSON.IDIO..T.
IT SEEMS NDC JUST CAME INTO POLITICS TO STEAL AND FILL THEIR POCKETS AND BANKS ACCOUNTS. WHAT A PITY? NEVER SHOULD THESE PEOPLE BE UNLEASHED ON GHANAINS AGAIN IN THEIR CURRENT CORRUPTION FORM.