It's baseless, without foundation — Lawyer denies allegations of stealing client's company

Ghanaian legal practitioner Addo Atuah has denied allegations that he orchestrated the theft of his former client, Coppon Wood Processing Limited.

In a rejoinder, Mr. Atuah called the claims by Mr. Alex Tetteh of Citizen Eye Ghana and Bernard Oppong "baseless, untrue and without any foundation".

"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,” the lawyer noted in his statement.

He further stated that "Bernard Oppong and Alex Tetteh are not shareholders of COK and have never held shares in COK contrary to their false statements."

According to Mr. Atuah, he became the majority shareholder of Coppon Wood through "a series of valid, legitimate and legally enforceable agreements" involving his company Timber and Consulting Limited.

He claims that between 1994 to 2022, he "forfeited fees due me amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of EUR1,680,000 and rather personally supported various family members."

Background
Mr. Tetteh and Mr. Oppong had maintained in an earlier press conference that Mr. Atuah improperly took control of the company following the deaths of its original owners - the Oppong brothers and their aunt.

They accuse him of transferring millions from the company's accounts to his personal accounts and forging documents to gain sole ownership.

The scandal has now become a legal battle, with the family pursuing criminal charges against Mr. Atuah.

Meanwhile, Mr. Atuah says he has instructed his lawyers to seek "the appropriate reliefs in the Court of Law" against the allegations.

Read full rejoinder below:
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.

I 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 3^rd shareholder/director, Wener Hug joining at a later date.

An agreement was signed on 14^th 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&C had invested 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 100% shareholder of T&C, holding 75.5% shares in COK. I was appointed Chairman of COK and with my personal funds, discharged a substantial part of COK’s corporate loans with Calbank. On 12^th 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 for organizing 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