Legal Status Profiles

Records

Stephen Opuni

Former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) who was tried for about seven years on 27 counts over fertiliser procurement and was acquitted and discharged in January 2025 after the Attorney-General withdrew the charges.

AcquittedLatest source dated 2025-04-22Last reviewed 2026-10-26

What is Stephen Opuni’s legal position?

COCOBOD Lithovit fertiliser procurement prosecution (with Seidu Agongo and Agricult Ghana Ltd)

Acquitted

Current position. Opuni stands acquitted and discharged of all 27 counts following the State's withdrawal of the charges on 28 January 2025.[1, 2, 3, 4]

Authority
High Court, Accra (Justice Aboagye Tandoh at conclusion); prosecuted by the Attorney-General's Department
Status date
2025-01-28

History

  1. 2018-03-25 Arraigned with Seidu Agongo on 27 counts; pleaded not guilty; granted GH₵300,000 self-recognisance bail each.
  2. 2021-03-29 Prosecution, led by DPP Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, closed its case after seven witnesses.
  3. 2021-12-03 Defence opened its case; Opuni's defence called 11 witnesses and he elected not to testify.
  4. 2023-02-13 Defence closed; the case was later reassigned from Justice Clemence Honyenuga to Justice Kwasi Anokye Gyimah and then Justice Aboagye Tandoh.
  5. 2025-01-28 On the Attorney-General's instruction, the State filed a notice of withdrawal; the court acquitted and discharged the accused under section 59 of Act 30 and ordered release of their passports.

Sources

  1. Opuni Trial: AG withdraws all charges against Dr Opuni, AgongoGhana News Agency (state news agency), 2025-01-28, primary source
  2. COCOBOD Case: Opuni, Agongo acquitted, discharged on all charges in ongoing trialUnivers (University of Ghana), 2025-01-28, secondary source
  3. Opuni praises God after withdrawal of longstanding caseCiti Newsroom, 2025-01-30, secondary source
  4. My prosecution was witch-hunt — Dr OpuniGraphic Online, 2025-04-22, secondary source

Change history

  • 2026-10-26 Record published.

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