Dr. Samuel Akoto-Bamford, a Principal Research Scientist, has described the forensic science laboratory report authored by P. Quartey-Papafio on fertilizer as incomplete and lacking scientific reliability.
Testifying as the ninth defense witness for Mr. Seidu Agongo in the trial involving Dr. Stephen Opuni, the former Chief Executive of COCOBOD, and two others, Dr. Akoto-Bamford criticized the report for its analytical shortcomings.
He pointed out that the report used inappropriate standards and methodologies, such as referencing GS 175:2017, a standard designed for drinking water analysis, which is unsuitable for fertilizer testing due to the fundamental differences in their composition.
Dr. Akoto-Bamford noted that the report failed to measure essential primary, secondary, and micronutrients typically present in fertilizers, focusing only on calcium, magnesium, and urea.
Additionally, he highlighted ambiguities in the analytical techniques used, which were vaguely described as “chemical/chromatography/spectrometer,” without specifying the exact methods.
He stated that standard practice requires detailed reporting of test methods and techniques, which was absent in this case.
The report’s conclusion that the sample was unsuitable as a fertilizer was deemed contradictory to its own findings, as it identified plant nutrients commonly found in fertilizers.
Dr. Akoto-Bamford argued that the results were insufficient to disqualify the product as a fertilizer, emphasizing that the methodologies employed were incomplete and unreliable.
On the other hand, Dr. Akoto-Bamford endorsed the reliability of a second report from the Material Science Laboratory of the Ghana Standards Authority.
This report adhered to the Ghana Fertilizer Analytical Manual and the Plants and Fertilizer Act (Act 803).
It employed prescribed analytical techniques and covered a broader range of essential nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, iron, potassium, and zinc.
The results, expressed in correct concentration units, fell within expected ranges for fertilizers, and the report conclusively identified the sample as a fertilizer.
Dr. Akoto-Bamford concluded that the Material Science Laboratory’s findings were scientifically sound and compliant with established standards, while the Quartey-Papafio report lacked the scientific basis to support its conclusions.
Dr. Opuni and Mr. Agongo, along with Agricult Ghana Limited, are facing 27 charges, including defrauding by false pretenses, willfully causing financial loss to the state, and corruption.
They have pleaded not guilty and are currently on GH₵300,000 self-recognizance bail.
The case, which has seen the defense call several witnesses, continues in the High Court in Accra.
