The Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Finance and Administration at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Ato Boateng, has welcomed potential investigations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) into allegations of conflict of interest levelled against him.

The allegations, which concern his past association with Atlas Commodities Limited, were raised by the Minority in Parliament.

Led by the Old Tafo MP, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, the Minority has called for a full criminal investigation into the company's operations.

They claim Atlas Commodities has been operating in warehouses registered under the Produce Buying Company (PBC) without proper authorisation, citing potential regulatory breaches and conflicts of interest.

According to Accra-based Citi News, a response by Mr. Boateng, sighted on February 23, refuted the claims as entirely false and baseless. He provided a detailed defense outlining his actions prior to assuming his current role at COCOBOD.

According to the statement, Mr. Boateng resigned as a director of Atlas Commodities Limited on January 20, 2025, before his appointment to the COCOBOD Board.

Furthermore, he transferred all his shares in the company to Edinam Yao Cofie and George Ofori, who now manage them as trustees.

To ensure full transparency and compliance with public service regulations, Mr. Boateng stated that he declared his previous interest in Atlas Commodities in his official Declaration of Assets and Liabilities, which has been duly lodged with the Auditor-General.

The statement also sought to clarify the operational structure of COCOBOD, emphasizing that the Board does not hold shares in PBC and therefore plays no role in its management decisions, further distancing itself from the specific allegations regarding warehouse authorisations.