The Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Mr Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate alleged conflict of interest, abuse of office and administrative malpractice at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
A formal petition was submitted to CHRAJ on Thursday, February 19, 2026, calling for a full-scale investigation into the matter.
The petition, grounded in Article 218(a) of the 1992 Constitution and Section 7(1)(a) of the CHRAJ Act, 1993 (Act 456), raised concerns about the conduct of Mr Ato Boateng, Acting Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Finance and Administration at COCOBOD.
Mr Assafuah alleged that publicly available records and professional profiles indicated that Mr Boateng previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Atlas Commodities Limited in 2018, a company engaged in cocoa-related commercial activities.
He said the prior executive and fiduciary relationship raised serious concerns, particularly given Mr Boateng’s current role at COCOBOD, where he is believed to wield significant influence over financial approvals, administrative control, regulatory oversight and institutional decision-making affecting Licensed Buying Companies and other cocoa sector operators.
The petition also raised concerns about the operations of Atlas Commodities Limited within warehouses registered under the Produce Buying Company (PBC).
It stated that under COCOBOD regulations, warehouses are required to be registered under and used exclusively by specific Licensed Buying Companies and are not to be used for the storage, grading, sealing or processing of cocoa belonging to other companies.
The petitioner contended that Atlas Commodities’ operations within PBC-registered warehouses raised serious regulatory and governance concerns, especially in view of Mr Boateng’s previous leadership role at the company and his current senior management position at COCOBOD.
The petition cited Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution, which requires a public officer not to place himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts or is likely to conflict with the performance of his official duties.
It also referenced 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.
Mr Assafuah urged CHRAJ to investigate whether Mr Boateng’s prior executive role at Atlas Commodities constituted a conflict of interest under Article 284 and whether full disclosure of his past association with the company was made to COCOBOD and relevant state oversight bodies upon his appointment.
The petition further called for investigations into whether Atlas Commodities had received any preferential treatment or regulatory accommodation within COCOBOD-regulated systems, and whether the use of PBC-registered warehouses by the company violated COCOBOD regulations.
The MP also requested CHRAJ to determine whether the circumstances amounted to abuse of office, regulatory capture or administrative malpractice.
The petition is seeking a full, independent and transparent investigation into the allegations, a determination of any constitutional, statutory or administrative breaches, and recommendations for appropriate sanctions or institutional reforms where necessary.
It also called for corrective administrative measures to safeguard the integrity of COCOBOD’s regulatory and operational systems.
Mr Assafuah described the cocoa industry as one of Ghana’s most strategic economic pillars and stressed that the integrity and impartiality of COCOBOD’s governance structures remained of paramount national importance.
CHRAJ is yet to publicly comment on the petition.
