Senior lawyer and partner at Addo Atuah & Co, a prominent law firm in Accra, Lawyer Addo Atuah, has vehemently denied allegations of misconduct and unlawful activities related to his tenure with Coppon Wood Processing Company Limited (COK).
According to Atuah, the claims by activists Alex Tetteh of Citizen Eye Ghana and Bernard Oppong that he illegally acquired shares, embezzled funds, and was responsible for the harm or death of individuals are “baseless, untrue and without any foundation.”
The accusations surfaced through various media, including press conferences and social media posts by the activists.
Atuah in a statement provided a detailed account of his involvement with COK, tracing back to a 1993 agreement between Timber & Consulting Limited (T&C), where he held shares, and COK. This agreement, which was later upheld by the Kumasi High Court as a Consent Judgement, involved T&C taking a majority stake in COK during a period of financial difficulty for the latter.
“I have always acted with diligence and integrity,” Atuah stated. He also noted his history of personal and financial support to various members of the Oppong family, who have significant ties to COK.
Atuah disclosed that neither Tetteh nor Oppong holds shares in COK, yet he has provided financial support to Oppong’s family out of goodwill. He underscored ongoing legal issues facing both activists, including allegations of violent activities related to timber concessions.
Atuah threatened that his lawyers are prepared to take legal action to seek relief against the “falsehoods” propagated by Tetteh, Oppong, and any other parties involved.
Below is the full statement
RE: PRESS CONFERENCES BY ALEX TETTEH AND BERNARD OPPONG ON COPPON WOOD PROCESSING COMPANY LIMITED AND LAWYER ADDO ATUAH
My attention has been drawn to press conferences, television coverage and social media posts by Alex Tetteh of Citizen Eye Ghana and Bernard Oppong, making unfounded yet defamatory statements against me to the extent of, amongst others, that I, Addo Atuah, joined Coppon Wood Processing Company Limited (COK), Akim Oda as their Secretary/Lawyer as and as a “Caretaker” managed to steal shares, monies, take over the Company unlawfully, cause harm and/or death of persons related to COK, individuals who died of natural causes.
State that these Statements aforesaid are baseless, untrue and without any foundation.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Timber & Consulting Limited (T&C) was formed in July 1993 by two Shareholders – Hans Rudolf Loertscher(65% shares) and Addo Atuah (35% shares) with a 3rd shareholder/director, Wener Hug joining at a later date.
An agreement was signed on 14th July 1993 between T&C and COK after COK approached T&C and expressed its willingness to accept a 51% majority stake in COK since COK had lost its timber equipment, was on the verge of losing its timber concessions due to a new regulation banning round log exports as well as crippling debts of over DEM 4,00,000 at the time.
A subsequent matter at the Kumasi High Court on the shareholding structure of T&C and COK recognized the 14/07/1993 Agreement executed and upheld same as a Consent Judgement as T&Chadinvested sawmilling and moulding mill equipment into COK.
Over the years, through a series of valid, legitimate and legally enforceable agreements between T&C, TT Timber International Limited and Myself, I became a 100% shareholder of T&C, holding 75.5% shares in COK. I was appointed Chairman of COK and with my funds, discharged a substantial part of COK’s corporate loans with Calbank. On 12th January 2022, I voluntarily resigned and exited COK leaving all plant and machinery, vehicles and 80 acres of land with buildings thereon and some timber concessions to COK.
As a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Ghana, with 43+ years’ experience and in good standing,I have never been sanctioned by the Chief Justice, contrary to defamatory statements made by these two gentlemen. I have at all times material, acted with diligence and integrity when dealing with the rightful shareholders of COK, even amidst several competing factions within the Oppong family of COK. Further to this, I have even forfeited fees due me amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of EUR1,680,000 between 1994 to 2022 and rather personally supported various family members at different stages of their lives.
Bernard Oppong and Alex Tetteh are not shareholders of COK and have never held shares in COK contrary to their false statements. On the other hand, Bernard Oppong has, however, enjoyed special discounts on plywood supplies, rent payments, medical bill payments for his son and his mother’s upkeep from me among others.
That notwithstanding, Bernard Oppong has been invited by the Kade Police to organize armed thugs and bandits to invade 2 timber concessions belonging to T&C at Akyem Aperade and Kade. Alex Tetteh is also currently awaiting Prosecution by the Kyebi Regional Police for unlawfully entering T&C’s concessions, firing gunshots and assaulting T&C’s bush manager at its site at Akyem Aperade.
In conclusion, my Lawyers have full instructions to seek the appropriate reliefs in the Court of Law against these gentlemen and/or others publishing these falsehoods levelled against me without further recourse to me.
ADDO ATUAH