The Minority in Parliament has accused the Acting Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Finance and Administration at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Ato Boateng, of allegedly diverting funds to his private company, Atlas Commodities, at the expense of the Produce Buying Company (PBC).
Addressing the media in Parliament on Monday, February 23, the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, claimed there are “clear conflict-of-interest concerns” involving Mr Boateng, which are affecting the operations of PBC.
According to the Minority, COCOBOD is deliberately depriving PBC of funds while Mr Boateng allegedly channels support to Atlas Commodities to keep it afloat.
Mr Assafuah said public records show that Mr Boateng previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Atlas Commodities Limited.
“Public records show that Mr Boateng previously served as the Chief Executive Officer of Atlas Commodities Limited in 2018,” he said.
He added that he had documentary evidence to support his claims. “I have in my hands here a document from the Registrar General’s Department that shows who has been the owner and the directors of Atlas Commodities Limited. They are all here with me,” he told journalists.
He said the documents had also been made public. “They are documents that I also shared on my Facebook wall,” he added.
Mr Assafuah noted that Mr Boateng now occupies what he described as one of the most powerful financial and administrative offices within COCOBOD, the body mandated by law to regulate cocoa buying companies.
“Today, that same person occupies one of the most powerful financial and administrative offices within COCOBOD, the institution mandated under law to regulate cocoa buying companies,” he said.
Citing the Ghana Cocoa Board Act, the MP said that COCOBOD is a regulator and not a competitor.
“Under the Ghana Cocoa Board Act, COCOBOD is a regulator. It is not a competitor,” he said. “As a regulator, you cannot be a referee and be a player at the same time. You cannot be a regulator and be a competitor at the same time.”
He also referred to Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution, which addresses conflict of interest.
“Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution clearly prohibits a public officer from placing himself in a position where his personal interests conflict or is likely to conflict with his official duties,” he stated.
He argued that the Constitution does not require proof of actual wrongdoing before concerns can be raised. “The standard or the threshold that has been established by the 1992 Constitution is very clear. There needs not be a wrongdoing. But the likelihood of you positioning yourself that ordinary bystanders can see through it and say, it doesn’t matter,” he said.
Mr Assafuah further expressed concern about the impact on cocoa farmers and the wider economy.
“Cocoa farmers are sacrificing daily to sustain the economy. Regulatory leadership must not create even the appearance of benefiting from the same system they supervise,” he said.
“You cannot benefit from the same system that you yourself is supervising. You cannot create a system whereby you will deprive the state from operating to be able to earn margins to give to the state, and then indirectly siphon that money into the pocket of an individual,” he added, naming Mr Boateng in his remarks.
The Minority is demanding what it describes as urgent action. “As a Minority, we demand the following. We demand a full criminal investigation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor. We demand a constitutional conflict of interest determination. We also demand a forensic audit of warehouse registrations and cocoa movement records,” Mr Assafuah said.
He added that the group is seeking full disclosure from COCOBOD, National Security and other relevant authorities, as well as action in accordance with the law if wrongdoing is established.
“If there is no wrongdoing, investigation will clear the air. But if wrongdoing is confirmed, accountability must follow,” he said.
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