The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tarkwa-Nsuaem, George Mireku Duker, is asking his fellow politicians not to take undue advantage of the current situation where the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Stephen Kwabena Opuni has been charged for causing financial loss to the state.
According to Mr. Duker, rather than apportioning blames, members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) should allow the laws of the country to work without any political interference.
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“We need to work with the laws of the country and so our colleagues and others should stop talking about the issue and defending Dr Opuni. Politicising it and mobilizing crowds to protest will not help. If we believe in democracy and the laws, let’s allow the laws to work”, he said.
Mr. Mireku Duker was speaking on Adom TV’s Morning Show “Badwam” Thursday.
Click on attached audio for more
According to a suit filed at an Accra High Court on Wednesday, March 14, 2018, Dr. Opuni and Alhaji Seidu Agongo will face up 27 counts of willfully causing financial loss to the state.
Some of the charges include; money laundering, violation of procurement laws and defrauding by false pretenses.
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Other portions of the suit read:” Mr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni between November 2014 and November 2015 in Accra in the Greater Accra Region, abetted Seidu Agongo and Agricult Ghana Limited to defraud Ghana COCOBOD of the sum of Ghc 75, 289, 314.72.”
The Ashanti Regional Branch of the NDC on Wednesday said it is appalled by the exceptional determination of the government to destroy the reputation of a man who had laboured to transform the cocoa sector in Ghana.
A statement issued by the Ashanti Regional Secretary, Raymond Tandoh said:” “We believe Dr. Stephen Opuni is a victim of a growing political culture of hounding predecessors to justify campaign claims of corruption”
But the MP for Tarkwa-Nsuaem advised says the party should desist from making unsavory comments that will undermine the case.
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He believes the court’s decision will serve as a deterrent to those, who in one way or the other, are causing financial loss to the state.
On his part, a former Deputy Minister for Employment and Labour Relations under the John Mahama administration, Baba Jamal urged his fellow NDC members to support the Mr. Opuni.
According to him, fair trial for the embattled COCOBOD CEO is what the party is hoping for and not to attack the government.
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