A depot boy with the Akuafo Adamfo Cocoa Marketing Company Limited at Dadieso in the Western Region and a cocoa purchasing clerk have been imprisoned for 5 years each by a Takoradi circuit court for adulterating the contents of sealed cocoa beans with stones.

The court presided over by Micheal Ntumi charged Ibrahim Fuseini 34, with three counts; tempering with sealed cocoa bags which is contrary to section 7 and 13 of the Cocoa Industry [Regulation] Act [NLCD] 1968, adulteration and stealing.

His accomplice Richard Ayipey 39 was charged with two counts; abetment of crime and dishonestly receiving.

Giving the facts of the case Prosecutor Superintendent Fuseni Yakubu said on the 7th of March Ibrahim Fuseni stole some of the cocoa beans bagged for export to the United States of America (USA).  

Ibrahim Fuseni then contracted Richard Ayipey a cocoa purchasing clerk to fill a cocoa sack with stones and send to the depot for him which he obliged.

One the same day, Ibrahim Fuseni secretly went to the depot, opened about 15 sacks of already sealed dried cocoa beans and mixed them with the stones and after this act he managed to steal two bags of the cocoa from the depot which he sold to Richard Ayipey at Ȼ440 and also rewarded him with Ȼ150.

On the 12 of March 2015 it was detected at the Takoradi Port that 15 bags out of the 600 bags from the depot for onward exportation to the USA had stones in them.

The complainant, General Manager of Akuafo Adamfo Cocoa Purchasing Company Limited who resides in Accra reported the matter to the police after which the 2 were arrested with 5 others.

In the course of investigations however, the two admitted having committed the offence.