Peter Okyere Boateng, the seventh defense witness, has refuted the claims made by the third prosecution witness, Dr. Yaw Adu-Ampomah, that a farmer informed him that lithovit liquid fertilizer is occasionally consumed when there is no access to clean drinking water.

It's worth noting that this farmer, who allegedly made this statement, did not include this information in his witness statement when he appeared before the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO). Nevertheless, the prosecution strongly emphasized this oral narrative to challenge the effectiveness of the fertilizer.

Interestingly, the farmer in question, Nana Obeng Akrofi, who also serves as a board member of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), informed EOCO that he experienced a yield increase of two additional cocoa bags after applying lithovit liquid fertilizer on his 10-acre farm.

However, during cross-examination, conducted by Seidu Agongo's counsel, Benson Nutsukpui, Mr. Okyere Boateng, the former Deputy Executive Director of Cocoa Health Extension Division (CHED) at COCOBOD, asserted in an Accra High Court that despite the liquid nature of the product, no farmer trained by CHED would ever consider drinking lithovit liquid fertilizer, as alleged.

“Did you meet any of the farmers drinking lithovit as water,” the witness was asked on Thursday, November 2, 2023.

“My Lord a big no,” the witness stated, stressing, “I wouldn’t expect any farmer who has gone through CHED extension education to even taste any agrochemical let alone drinking it.

“My Lord, let me add that the farmers have been trained to look at every agrochemical as a potential poison irrespective of the actual toxicity level or sidal effect, that is the cleaning ability.”

During further questioning, counsel inquired whether the witness, during his visits to cocoa farms, had ever received any complaints from farmers that the lithovit fertilizer was indistinguishable from regular water.

“My Lord I never received any form of complaint from the farmers that I met on the farms, rather it was all commendations and singing of praises of the efficacy of the fertilizer,” he told the court president over by Justice Aboagye Tandoh.

Mr Okyere Boateng, also said his regional managers did not complain to him about the efficacy of lithovit

“My Lord I have said here severally that all regional managers including the Eastern region praise lithovit and lobbied for more supply, and therefore I never received any complaint. Though I personally did not go to the Eastern region, they never brought any report that seems to complain. So far as I’m concerned there is no complaint about lithovit fertilizer that came to me.”

Meanwhile, the witness has also maintained that he never met the second accused person, Seidu Agongo, nor any official from his company Agricult Ghana Limited before the court processes.

“My Lord I have already said it in my evidence that I had never met the A2 being described here until I came to this honourable court,” he said.

Former COCOBOD Chief Executive Dr. Opuni, businessman Seidu Agongo, and Agroindustrial Company Agricult Ghana Limited are currently facing trial on 27 charges. These charges include allegations of willfully causing financial loss to the state and violating the Public Procurement Act in connection with the procurement of Lithovit liquid fertilizer during the period from 2014 to 2016.

The case has previously been presided over by two different judges. The third trial judge, Justice Aboagye, has faced accusations of bias and unfair treatment toward the primary accused.

Despite this, the trial judge has dismissed a motion requesting his recusal from the case.