A senior research scientist at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), Mr. Jerome Agbesi Dogbatse has exposed the second prosecution witness, Dr Alfred Arthur, over the latter’s testimony in court that Lithovit fertiliser was powder and not liquid.

Mr Dogbatse had in the previous sittings revealed in court that the Head of Soil Science Division at CRIG, Mr A. A. Afrifa, who received samples of Lithovit and led a team of scientists to test the fertiliser, told the Adu-Ampomah committee in the presence of Dr Arthur that he was “100 per cent certain” that Lithovit he received was liquid.

Mr Dogbatse has further told the court that after the re-evaluation of Lithovit fertiliser was conducted in 2016, in which he actively participated, the final report submitted to CRIG’s Committee for Testing Chemicals and Machines (CTCM) stated clearly that Lithovit is a liquid fertiliSer.

Interestingly, he informed the court that Dr Alfred Arthur was a member of the CTCM that reviewed the re-evaluation report in 2016 and passed it for certification without raising any reservations concerning the nature of Lithovit being described as liquid.

The former COCOBOD Chief Executive, Dr Stephen Opuni and businessman Seidu Agongo have been accused of defrauding by false pretences, wilfully causing financial loss to the state, corruption by public officers and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.

It is the case of the prosecution that the Lithovit Foliar Fertiliser that CRIG tested and approved for use was powdery in nature but COCOBOD between 2014 and 2016 bought a liquid product from Agricult Ghana Limited, which they claimed had never been tested by CRIG.

Dr Arthur, who testified in court in 2018 that he tested the Lithovit, said what he tested was powdery.

“We were expecting to find Lithovit foliar fertiliser in a powdery form, however, what we picked from the field was a liquid substance. The Soil Science Division has never tested a product by name Agricult Liquid Lithovit Foliar Fertiliser,’’ the state-owned Daily Graphic quoted Dr. Alfred Arthur as telling the court in November 2018.

But it has now emerged that Dr. Arthur apparently was returning a favour to the state when he acted as a prosecution witness after he was reinstated by the current government having been suspended and transferred out of CRIG Tafo for engaging in wrongful act in the testing of Cocoa Nti fertiliser.

“Dr Alfred Arthur, to your knowledge as of 2016, was a member of the CTCM?” Mr Samuel Codjoe, counsel for Dr. Opuni asked Mr. Dogbatse under cross-examination on May 6, 2024.

The witness replied, “Yes, my Lord”.

“And when you, Jerome Agbesi Dogbatse, sent your re-evaluation report, you stated clearly that Lithovit is a liquid fertiliser to the CTCM in your report,” the witness was asked.

“Yes. In the report of the evaluation team and not Jerome Agbesi Dogbatse’s report,” he responded.

He was further asked, “In fact, Dr Alfred Arthur never complained to you in 2016 that the Lithovit which you evaluated as part of the team, whose report was sent by the evaluation team to the CTCM, was not liquid?”

The witness reiterated in his response, “Yes, he never complained.”

Mr Dogbatse, who is pursuing his PhD in Soil Science, also told the court that Dr Arthur “never complained” to him nor any person at CRIG that Lithovit, which he, together with other scientists tested, was not liquid. 

“I am putting it to you that as scientists, when it comes to fertiliser, if what Dr Alfred Arthur, together with others tested when Lithovit was sent to CRIG for testing was not liquid, he would have immediately complained to the CTCM with respect to what was re-evaluated,” counsel stated.

“Yes, that is obvious; he will do that,” the witness answered.

The witness also confirmed that all the processes for the re-evaluation of renewal certificates for fertilisers were followed during the re-evaluation of Lithovit in 2016.

According to Mr. Dogbatse, the re-evaluation of Lithovit in 2016 also found the product to be effective with respect to nutrients.

How CRIG receives samples

The witness recounted in court how samples are received and tested at CRIG.

He said after a company applies through COCOBOD for a fertiliser to be tested, the application would end on the desk of the Head of Soil Science Division at CRIG. The head of the division would then write directly to the company to inform them of the quantities of the fertiliser needed for the testing and also the cost involved in testing the product.

The witness confirmed that when the additional sample is delivered, it is delivered straight to the Soil Science Division who will take delivery to conduct their test. 

“And when it is delivered it is the head of the Soil Science Division who will either take delivery of what had to be tested or authorise who should take delivery. That is the position. Is that not it?” counsel asked the witness, to which he affirmed, “That is correct.”

“The Executive Director of CRIG at this point cannot know the fertiliser which is to be tested because he will not be part of the chain of delivery of the fertilizer brought for testing,” he was further asked.

Mr Dogbatse then answered, “Yes, at that point that is correct.”

The witness also told the court he has no reason to doubt Mr. A. A. Afrifa who took delivery of Lithovit samples as the Head of the Soil Science Division and said the Lithovit he received for testing was a liquid fertiliser.

“Between the person who receives the sample to be tested directly from the applicant company and the Head of CRIG, the Executive Director, the person who receives it is in a better position, with respect to the identity of the sample received and tested,” the witness was told.

Mr Dogbatse, who has personally received samples of fertilisers for testing at CRIG directly from the applicant companies, on the instructions of the Head of the Soil Science Division, told the court, “Yes. That is correct.”

“It is, therefore, right to say that Dr Amoah, who was the then-head of CRIG when the sample [of Lithovit] was submitted for testing did not see and or receive the actual samples which were tested because that is not part of his schedule,” Mr. Codjoe told the witness.

Mr. Dogbatse replied, “Yes. That is correct.”