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

A formal petition was submitted to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) today, Thursday, February 19, calling for a full-scale investigation into the issues.

The petition, grounded in Article 218(a) of the 1992 Constitution and Section 7(1)(a) of the CHRAJ Act, 1993 (Act 456), raises concerns about the conduct of Mr. Ato Boateng, Acting Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Finance and Administration at COCOBOD.

Alleged Prior Ties to Private Company

According to the petitioner, publicly available records and professional profiles indicate that Mr. Boateng previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Atlas Commodities Limited in 2018. The company is engaged in cocoa-related commercial activities.

The petitioner argues that this prior executive and fiduciary relationship raises red flags, particularly given Mr. Boateng’s current strategic role at COCOBOD, where he is said to wield significant influence over financial approvals, administrative control, regulatory oversight and institutional decision-making affecting Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) and other cocoa sector operators.

Warehouse Operations Under Scrutiny

A key issue highlighted in the petition concerns the operations of Atlas Commodities Limited within warehouses registered under the Produce Buying Company (PBC).

Under COCOBOD regulations, warehouses are required to be registered under and used exclusively by specific Licensed Buying Companies. Such facilities are not to be used for the storage, grading, sealing or processing of cocoa belonging to other companies.

The petition contends that Atlas Commodities’ operations within PBC-registered warehouses raise serious regulatory and governance concerns, especially in light of Mr. Boateng’s previous leadership role at the company and his current senior management position at COCOBOD.

Constitutional and Legal Basis

The petitioner cites Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution, which states that a public officer must not place himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts or is likely to conflict with the performance of his official duties.

The petition also references the Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act, 1998 (Act 550), which prohibits public officers from engaging in conduct that creates a conflict between private interests and official responsibilities.

Additionally, Section 7(1)(a) of the CHRAJ Act empowers the Commission to investigate alleged corruption, abuse of power, unfair treatment and administrative injustice involving public officers.

Key Issues for Investigation

The petitioner is urging CHRAJ to investigate:

-Whether Mr. Boateng’s prior executive role at Atlas Commodities constitutes a conflict of interest under Article 284 of the Constitution.

-Whether full disclosure of his past association with the company was made to COCOBOD and relevant state oversight bodies upon his appointment.

-Whether Atlas Commodities has received any preferential treatment, regulatory accommodation or operational advantage within COCOBOD-regulated systems.

-Whether the use of PBC-registered warehouses by the company violates COCOBOD regulations and whether any official facilitation enabled such operations.

-Whether the circumstances amount to abuse of office, regulatory capture or administrative malpractice.

Reliefs Being Sought

The petition is requesting CHRAJ to conduct a full, independent and transparent investigation into the allegations; determine whether any constitutional, statutory or administrative breaches have occurred; and recommend appropriate sanctions or institutional reforms where necessary.

It further calls for corrective administrative measures to safeguard the integrity of COCOBOD’s regulatory and operational systems.

Describing the cocoa industry as one of Ghana’s most strategic economic pillars, the petitioner stresses that the integrity and impartiality of COCOBOD’s governance structures are of paramount national importance.

The petition concludes that any situation that reasonably gives rise to conflict-of-interest concerns must be addressed decisively to preserve public trust, institutional credibility and regulatory fairness.

CHRAJ is yet to publicly comment on the petition.