COCOBOD Deputy CEO Welcomes OSP Probe, Rejects Conflict of Interest Allegations

The Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Finance and Administration at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Ato Boateng, has expressed readiness to cooperate with investigations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) over allegations of conflict of interest involving Atlas Commodities Limited.

The development follows calls from the Minority in Parliament, led by the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, for a comprehensive criminal probe into the operations of Atlas Commodities. The Minority alleged that the company had been operating from warehouses registered under the Produce Buying Company (PBC) without proper authorisation and raised concerns about potential regulatory breaches and conflict of interest.

In a document sighted by masemtvgh.com on Monday, February 23, Mr. Boateng described the allegations as false and without merit.

According to his response, he stepped down as a director of Atlas Commodities Limited on January 20, 2025, before taking up his current position at COCOBOD. He also transferred his shares in the company to Edinam Yao Cofie and George Ofori, who now act as trustees under a trust arrangement established for that purpose.

The statement further indicated that Mr. Boateng declared his previous interest in Atlas Commodities in his official Assets and Liabilities Declaration, in line with requirements for public officers, and submitted the documentation to the Auditor-General.

Clarifying COCOBOD’s operational framework, the statement explained that the Board does not own shares in PBC and therefore does not control its management decisions. It also outlined that supervision of Licensed Buying Companies falls under the Deputy Chief Executive for Operations, while grading, sealing, and cocoa quality control are handled by the Deputy Chief Executive for Agronomy and Quality Control.

Additionally, the distribution of seed funds to Licensed Buying Companies, when applicable, is managed by the Research Department under the Deputy Chief Executive for Operations and approved by the COCOBOD Board. The Deputy Chief Executive for Finance and Administration, the statement stressed, is responsible solely for processing payments after all necessary approvals have been secured.

The statement added that for the past two years, COCOBOD has not provided seed funds to Licensed Buying Companies, which instead have had to secure private buyers or bank financing to support their cocoa purchases.

On the basis of these clarifications, Mr. Boateng maintained that he has not used his office to influence any decisions in favour of Atlas Commodities Limited. He also questioned why the MP continues to pursue the matter publicly after petitioning the OSP and CHRAJ, rather than awaiting the outcome of their investigations.