The Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to commence a full criminal and corruption-risk investigation into alleged conflict of interest and possible abuse of office at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
The petition centres on the conduct of Mr. Ato Boateng, Acting Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Finance and Administration at COCOBOD, in relation to the commercial activities of Atlas Commodities Limited, a private company involved in cocoa trading and related operations.
In the petition dated Thursday, February 19, Mr. Assafuah cited Article 287 of the 1992 Constitution, the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), and its 2020 amendment (Act 1030), urging what he described as a thorough and independent criminal probe into serious governance, regulatory, and conflict-of-interest concerns.
Among the key issues raised is whether Mr. Boateng’s previous executive leadership role at Atlas Commodities Limited, coupled with his current position at COCOBOD, constitutes a conflict of interest amounting to abuse of office.
The MP is also seeking clarity on whether Mr. Boateng fully declared his prior relationship with the company upon assuming public office.
“I respectfully request the Office of the Special Prosecutor to investigate whether Mr. Ato Boateng’s prior executive leadership of Atlas Commodities Limited, combined with his present role at COCOBOD, constitutes a conflict of interest amounting to abuse of office, and whether his prior relationship with Atlas Commodities was fully declared upon assumption of public office,” portions of the petition stated.
The petition further calls for investigations into whether Atlas Commodities Limited received any preferential treatment, regulatory accommodation, operational advantages, or institutional protection within COCOBOD.
It also questions whether the company’s reported use of warehouses registered to the Produce Buying Company (PBC) was done with institutional approval, tacit consent, or direct facilitation.
Mr. Assafuah is requesting the OSP to initiate a full-scale criminal investigation, trace financial and regulatory decision trails linking COCOBOD’s operations to Atlas Commodities, audit warehouse licensing records and cocoa movement logs, and pursue prosecutions where culpability is established.
He also urged the implementation of corrective institutional measures to prevent any recurrence.
Describing the cocoa sector as a strategic national asset, the MP warned that any compromise of its regulatory integrity through conflict of interest or abuse of authority could pose significant economic and governance risks.
Mr. Boateng currently serves as Acting Deputy Chief Executive (Finance and Administration) at COCOBOD, a role that oversees financial approvals, administrative systems, regulatory coordination, compliance supervision, and operational governance within Ghana’s cocoa sector.
