Old Tafo MP asks CHRAJ to probe alleged conflict of interest at COCOBOD

Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate alleged conflict of interest, abuse of office and administrative malpractice at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).

The petition, filed on Thursday, February 19, cites Article 218(a) of the 1992 Constitution and Section 7(1)(a) of the CHRAJ Act, 1993 (Act 456), and focuses on Mr Ato Boateng, the Acting Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Finance and Administration at COCOBOD.

At the centre of the complaint is Mr Boateng’s alleged prior role as Chief Executive Officer of Atlas Commodities Limited in 2018, a firm linked to cocoa-related commercial business. The MP argues that this previous executive relationship raises governance concerns, given Mr Boateng’s current position, which the petition says gives him influence over finance approvals, administrative control and oversight decisions affecting Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) and other players in the cocoa sector.

The petition also flags what it describes as troubling warehouse arrangements. It claims Atlas Commodities has been operating within warehouses registered under the Produce Buying Company (PBC). Under COCOBOD rules, the petition notes, such warehouses are meant to be registered to and used exclusively by specific LBCs, not shared for storage, grading, sealing or processing by other companies. Assafuah argues that Atlas Commodities’ presence in PBC-registered facilities raises regulatory questions, especially considering Mr Boateng’s former leadership at the company and his current senior role at COCOBOD.

To support the complaint, the MP references Article 284 of the Constitution, which bars public officers from putting themselves in positions where personal interests conflict, or are likely to conflict, with official duties. The petition further cites the Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act, 1998 (Act 550), and points to CHRAJ’s mandate under Act 456 to investigate alleged corruption, abuse of power and administrative injustice.

Among the issues CHRAJ is being asked to examine are whether Mr Boateng’s past ties to Atlas Commodities amount to a conflict of interest, whether any disclosure was made to COCOBOD or relevant state oversight bodies, whether Atlas Commodities has received preferential treatment or regulatory accommodation, and whether the alleged use of PBC-registered warehouses breaches COCOBOD rules or involved official facilitation. The petition also asks CHRAJ to assess whether the circumstances point to regulatory capture, abuse of office or broader administrative malpractice.

Assafuah is seeking a full, independent investigation, findings on any constitutional or statutory breaches, and recommendations on sanctions or institutional reforms where appropriate. He also wants corrective administrative measures to protect COCOBOD’s regulatory integrity, arguing that the cocoa sector is a strategic national asset and must be governed with fairness and transparency.