Former COCOBOD Chief Executive, Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni, has spoken out for the first time since the state dropped all charges against him in a high-profile corruption case, describing the eight-year trial as politically motivated.
Speaking at a Thanksgiving service on Sunday, April 20, Dr. Opuni declared his innocence and said the ordeal had been an attempt by political opponents to destroy him.
“I want the world to know that God has delivered me from the hands of those who sought to bring me down,” he said.
“For eight years, I was prosecuted. I never stopped praying because I knew I was innocent.”
On January 28, 2025, an Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Aboagye Tandoh, confirmed that Attorney-General Dominic Ayine had directed the withdrawal of all charges against Dr. Opuni and businessman Seidu Agongo.
The two had faced 27 charges, including defrauding by false pretence, causing financial loss to the state, money laundering, and corruption. The charges stemmed from the procurement of Lithovit Liquid Fertilizer, which prosecutors claimed was substandard and unapproved. Dr. Opuni was accused of bypassing procurement protocols to award the deal to Agongo’s company, Agricult Ghana Limited.
Both men denied the accusations throughout the trial and were granted bail of GH₵300,000 each.
The trial, which began in 2018, became one of the most closely watched in the country’s history. It featured expert witnesses, government officials, and cocoa farmers, but was repeatedly delayed due to procedural issues and changes in presiding judges.
Critics have long questioned the basis of the prosecution, with many citing the case as an example of political retribution rather than a pursuit of justice.
The Attorney-General’s office has not commented on the reasons behind the decision to discontinue the trial.
