The Ghana Cocoa Board has denied any wrongdoing in awarding a contract for the procurement of Transform Akate Insecticide from Agri-Plus Horizon Farm Limited through sole-sourcing.

This comes on the back of a report purported to emanate from the Financial Intelligence Centre, Ghana, accusing COCOBOD of nepotism and corruption with regard to the contract.

The report alleged that the CEO of Agri-Plus Horizon, Mr Joseph Seth Aidoo Junior, is related to the CEO of COCOBOD, Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo.

A statement denying the claim signed by the Head of Public Affairs of COCOBOD, Mr Fiifi Boafo, said: “We wish to state categorically that the suspicion that the decision by COCOBOD to sole-source the contract to Agri-Plus may have been founded on grounds of nepotism is completely baseless and untrue.

“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.”

On the claims of sole-sourcing, the statement explained that Agri-Plus Horizon Farms Limited is the company that holds the CRIG certificate for the product they need and, therefore, “approval was sought from the Public Procurement Authority to procure the product amongst others through the sole sourcing method for COCOBOD’s operations.”

Read full statement below:

RE: ALLEGATIONS OF NEPOTISM, CORRUPTION AND MONEY LAUNDERING AT GHANA COCOA BOARD

Our attention has been drawn to a document circulating on several online and social media platforms purported to emanate from the Financial Intelligence Centre, Ghana, which alleges wrongdoing by COCOBOD awarding a contract for the procurement of Transform Akate Insecticide from Agri-Plus Horizon Farm Limited through the sole sourcing method.

The document further alleges that there is suspicion that the decision by COCOBOD to sole-source the contract to Agri-Plus may have been founded on the grounds of nepotism and/or trade-based money laundering.

Sole Sourcing

We wish to state that the decision to sole source insecticides and other chemicals for COCOBOD operations is based on COCOBOD’s need for specific purposes. COCOBOD only procures insecticides or chemicals that have been tested and certified by the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG).

It should, therefore, be noted that different insecticides have different active ingredients (the killing agent), different levels of concentration of the active ingredients, different rates of applications per hectare of cocoa farm and different manufacturing sources.

Some products have a systemic effect while others take effect on contact with the insect. 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 right in the product and consequently, COCOBOD can procure the product from only that company.

At the beginning of each crop season COCOBOD decides on the various insecticide and chemicals to be procured for the season based on the projected threats to the crop for that year. The insecticide application is varied periodically to reduce the chances of the insects developing resistance to a particular insecticide.

In the case of Transform Akate Insecticide mentioned in the document, Agriplus Horizon Farms Limited is the company that holds the CRIG certificate for the product.

Approval was, therefore, sought from the Public Procurement Authority to procure the product amongst others through the sole sourcing method for COCOBOD’s operations.

Nepotism

We wish to state categorically that the suspicion that the decision by COCOBOD to sole-source the contract to Agri-Plus may have been founded on grounds of nepotism is completely baseless and untrue.

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 Hon Joseph Boahen Aidoo nor are they related in any way.

We, therefore, urge the general public not to give the allegations contained in the said document any weight.

SIGNED

FIIFI BOAFO

HEAD OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS