Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah has petitioned the country’s anti-corruption body to investigate alleged conflict of interest and abuse of office involving a senior official at the cocoa regulator, the latest scrutiny of governance in one of Ghana’s most strategic sectors.
The MP has asked the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice to probe the conduct of Ghana Cocoa Board’s (COCOBOD) acting deputy chief executive for finance and administration, Ato Boateng.
Details
In a petition submitted on Thursday, Assafuah cited constitutional and statutory provisions that bar public officers from placing themselves in positions where personal interests conflict with official duties. He alleged that Boateng previously served as chief executive of Atlas Commodities Limited, a private firm engaged in cocoa-related activities, raising concerns about potential regulatory bias.
The petition further alleges that Atlas Commodities operates within warehouses registered to Produce Buying Company, arrangements that are restricted under COCOBOD regulations to specific licensed buying companies. Assafuah said the situation warranted investigation, given Boateng’s former role at the company and his current influence over financial approvals, regulatory oversight and administrative controls within COCOBOD.
Preferential treatment
The lawmaker is asking CHRAJ to determine whether Boateng fully disclosed his prior association with Atlas Commodities, whether the company received preferential treatment, and whether any rules governing cocoa warehousing were breached. He is also seeking recommendations for sanctions or institutional reforms if wrongdoing is established.
CHRAJ has not publicly commented on the petition. COCOBOD officials were not immediately available for comment.
Ghana is the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, and the cocoa sector remains a key source of foreign exchange, employment and government revenue.
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