Dr Stephen Opuni, a former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and any other persons suspected to have caused financial loss to the state, should be granted amnesty and made to refund the monies they allegedly acquired fraudulent, to be used for developmental projects, Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong has said.
Mr Agyapong, who has been advocating the arrest of Dr Opuni for alleged corrupt practices, has, in a U-turn disclosed that he is not happy with his arrest.
“I’m not happy that he’s [Dr Opuni] going to court,” Mr Agyapong stated.
“In my opinion, they should have given amnesty to everybody they suspect has caused financial loss to the state to refund some of the money which we can use for development. If you jail the person for even 25 years as they are saying, when he comes back from jail, he’s still rich and you haven’t done anything. So, for me, if they were first granted amnesty and then if you are stubborn and refuse to refund the money or part of it, then you can be jailed,” the lawmaker said on Ekosii Sen, a current affairs programme on Accra-based Asempa FM on Tuesday, 27 March 2018.
Dr Opuni, businessman Seidu Agongo and AgriCult Ghana Company Limited, are facing 27 charges of willfully causing financial loss of GHS217million to the state, through three separate fertiliser supply contracts between 2014 and 2016.
The contracts were GHS43.1million (2013/2014 cocoa farming season), GHS75.3million (2014/2015 cocoa farming season) and GHS98.9million (2015/2016 cocoa farming season) totalling GHS217million through sole-sourcing, the state claimed, adding that procurement procedures for sole-sourcing were not followed.
According to the charges, the consignments of Lithovit Foliar were produced locally, contrary to an agreement between COCOBOD and AgriCult Ghana Company Limited that it be sourced from Germany.
Also, the Attorney General claims the fertilisers were manufactured without registration, thereby, flouting the Plants and Fertiliser Act 2010.
The two men have pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against them. They will reappear at the Accra High court on 11 April 2018 to continue the case.
Source: classfmonline.com
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Why should government grant him amnesty? You always claim you've lived in the USA,Is that what they do there? When you steal from the nation,the laws should grant you amnesty on top of it? Aah don't let us lose confidence in you.You politicians are all the same.Do you intend to steal in future?I can't understand your logic again ooo,he should be granted amnesty because he is a politician and jail the poor who stole cassava.You politicians are disappointment.
The ***barred word*** politicians at it again if they steal we grant them amnesty and beg them to bring the stolen money back .But the ordinary man comment a small offence and he is given 10 years imprisonment. The presidency is in the hands of ***barred word*** people ,if I were the president people will even fear to take one cedi.You seize all his properties houses bank accounts he can't will anything to anyone for the rest of his life let the foreign intelligence go after other properties outide the country and share it 20% to them 80% to Ghanaian .Ghana intelligence is weak,monitor the wife,brothers,sister,uncle's,aunt,children and friend and friends friends account. Any one caught abetting his properties are also seized ,that the only way this ***barred word*** will stop.SOMEBODY STEALS AND THEY SING LULLABY TO THE PERSON WHAT KIND OF FOOLISHNESS IS THIS
Another tiwuiiii!! How can a person facing the law be granted amnesty???!! It’s past that time!! Your only option is to proceed or do your usual nolle prosequai.