The Member of Parliament (MP) for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has formally petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to open a comprehensive criminal inquiry into alleged conflict-of-interest and abuse-of-office concerns at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).

The complaint centres on Mr Ato Boateng, who currently serves as Acting Deputy Chief Executive responsible for Finance and Administration at COCOBOD.

Mr Assafuah is urging investigators to scrutinise Mr Boateng’s previous leadership role at Atlas Commodities Limited — a private cocoa trading firm — and examine whether that past affiliation presents an improper overlap with his present public office.

In the petition dated Thursday, February 19, the lawmaker invoked Article 287 of the 1992 Constitution, alongside provisions of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 and its 2020 amendment (Act 1030), calling for what he describes as an independent and far-reaching probe into governance, regulatory and ethical questions surrounding the matter.

Among the key issues he wants examined is whether Mr Boateng’s transition from a senior executive position at Atlas Commodities to a top regulatory role at COCOBOD constitutes a conflict that could amount to an abuse of public authority. The MP is also seeking clarity on whether the official duly disclosed his prior ties to the company upon taking up the public appointment.

The petition further calls for investigators to determine whether Atlas Commodities may have benefited from favourable regulatory decisions, operational concessions or institutional backing within COCOBOD. Particular attention, Mr Assafuah argues, should be paid to reports that the company utilised warehouses registered under the Produce Buying Company (PBC), and whether such use was formally authorised or facilitated.

He is urging the OSP to undertake a full criminal investigation, trace financial and administrative decision-making linked to COCOBOD’s dealings with Atlas Commodities, review warehouse licensing documentation and cocoa movement records, and pursue prosecutions where wrongdoing is established. He also advocates structural reforms to forestall similar concerns in future.

Describing Ghana’s cocoa industry as a critical pillar of the national economy, the MP cautioned that any erosion of regulatory integrity through conflicts of interest or misuse of office could have grave economic and governance consequences.

Mr Boateng, in his current capacity at COCOBOD, oversees financial authorisations, administrative systems, compliance supervision and broader operational governance within the sector. As of now, the Office of the Special Prosecutor has not issued a public response to the petition.