The Deputy Chief Executive responsible for Finance and Administration at the Ghana Cocoa Board, Ato Boateng, has expressed readiness to cooperate with any formal inquiry by the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice over allegations of conflict of interest brought against him.
The claims, which relate to his previous affiliation with Atlas Commodities Limited, were tabled by the Minority Caucus in Parliament. The group, led by the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has called for a comprehensive criminal investigation into the operations of the company.
According to the Minority, Atlas Commodities is alleged to have conducted business activities within warehouses registered under the Produce Buying Company without the requisite authorisation. They argue that the arrangement may constitute regulatory infractions and raise questions about potential conflicts of interest given Mr Boateng’s current executive position at COCOBOD.
However, in a response reported by Citi News and sighted on February 23, Mr Boateng dismissed the accusations as wholly unfounded and lacking factual basis. He issued a detailed rebuttal outlining the sequence of events preceding his appointment to the COCOBOD Board.
According to his statement, he formally resigned as a director of Atlas Commodities Limited on January 20, 2025, prior to assuming his present role at the cocoa regulator. In addition, he disclosed that he divested entirely from the company by transferring all his shares to Edinam Yao Cofie and George Ofori, who currently hold and manage them as trustees.
Mr Boateng further emphasised that, in adherence to public service compliance requirements, he declared his prior interest in Atlas Commodities in his official Declaration of Assets and Liabilities. The declaration, he noted, was duly submitted to the Auditor General in line with statutory obligations governing public office holders.
The statement also addressed the structural relationship between COCOBOD and the Produce Buying Company, clarifying that the Board does not possess shareholding interests in PBC and therefore does not participate in its operational or managerial decisions. This distinction, Mr Boateng argued, further distances his office from the specific allegations surrounding warehouse authorisations.
By signalling openness to scrutiny from both the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Mr Boateng maintained that he remains confident that any independent investigation will affirm his compliance with the law and established governance standards.
