COCOBOD refutes nepotism, money laundering and corruption allegations

The management of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has denied any allegations of money laundering, nepotism and corruption brought against it in a document purportedly compiled by the Financial Intelligence Centre, Ghana.

A statement issued by the management on Tuesday, November 17 said its attention has been drawn to a document circulating on several online and social media platforms purported to emanate from the Financial Intelligence Centre Ghana, alleging wrongdoing in the firm’s award of a contract for the procurement of Transform Akate Insecticides to Agri-Plus Horizon Farm Limited through sole-sourcing.

“The documents further allege that there is suspicion that the decision by COCOBOD to sole-source the contract to Agri-plus may have been found on the grounds of nepotism and/or trade-based money laundering”.

COCOBOD in a statement signed by the Fiifi Boafo, the head of public affairs, has vehemently branded such accusations as false and unfounded.

In an attempt to explain the issue of sole-sourcing of the contract, COCOBOD explained in the statement that Agri-Plus Horizon Farms Limited is the company that holds the CRIG certificate for the product they need thus, “approval was sought from the Public Procurement Authority to procure the product amongst others through the sole sourcing method for COCOBOD’s operations.”

“We wish to state that the decision to sole-source insecticides and other chemicals for COCOBOD operations is based on COCOBOD’s needs for a specific purpose,” the statement said.

It added: “COCOBOD only procures insecticides or chemicals that have been tested and certified by the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) and it should therefore be noted different insecticides have different active ingredient (the killing agents), different levels of concentrated active ingredients, different rate of application per hectare of cocoa farm and different manufacturing sources. Some products have systemic effects while others take effects on contacts with the insects. Some products are also formulated as cocktails and have both systemic and contact properties combined”.

“A company that holds the CRIG certificate for a particular product has proprietary rights in the product and consequently COCOBOD can procure the product from only that company.”

Responding to allegations of nepotism, COCOBOD stated that CEO of Agri-Plus Horizon, Joseph Seth Aidoo Junior, is not related to the CEO of COCOBOD, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, as indicated in the said Financial Intelligence document.

“The Chief Executive of Ghana Cocoa Board, Hon Joseph Boahen Aidoo is not in any way related to Joseph Seth Aidoo Junior mentioned in the document in relation to Agri-Plus Limited. The said Joseph Seth Aidoo Junior is neither a son of Joseph Boahen Aidoo nor are they related in any way,” the statement dated November 17, 2020, read in part.