![WhatsApp Image 2020-11-17 at 18.18.26](https://dailystatesman.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/WhatsApp-Image-2020-11-17-at-18.18.26.jpeg)
Chief Executive of COCOBOD, Joseph Boahen Aidoo
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has denied allegations of nepotism in the award of it insecticide contract, as well as money-laundering allegations levelled against it.
This follows a widely circulated document on some social and online media platforms that seek to tarnish the image of the Board.
Allegations
The document, supposedly coming from the Financial Intelligence Centre, Ghana, alleges that COCOBOD was involved in corrupt deals in its award of contract for the procurement of Transform Akate Insecticide from Agri-Plus Horizon Farm Limited.
The document further alleges that there was 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 on money laundering.
Response
However, according to a statement from COCOBOD, and signed by its Head of Public Affairs, Fiifi Boafo, “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.”
It said the decision to sole source insecticides and other chemicals for COCOBOD operations was 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 said.
“It should therefore be noted that different insecticides have different active ingredients (the killing agent), different levels of concentration of active ingredients, different rates of applications per hectare of cocoa farm and different manufacturing sources,” it stated.
It continued: “Some products have 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,” adding that 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,” the statement explained.
It added that 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
On the allegation of nepotism, COCOBOD explained: “the Chief Executive of Ghana Cocoa Board, 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,” the statement added.