The government has directed the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, to launch a full-scale investigation into the finances and operations of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) covering the past eight years.
Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson made the announcement on Thursday, February 12, during a press briefing where he outlined steps being taken to stabilise the struggling cocoa sector.
According to Dr. Forson, Cabinet reached the decision as part of a broader push to bring greater transparency and accountability to the management of COCOBOD and the cocoa industry as a whole.
“To ensure accountability and transparency in the management of COCOBOD and the cocoa sector as a whole, Cabinet has directed the Attorney General to commission concurrent forensic and criminal investigations into the activities of COCOBOD over the last eight years,” he stated.
The move comes a day after President John Dramani Mahama convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday, February 11, to address mounting concerns within the sector.
The government says the investigations will go hand in hand with broader structural reforms aimed at restoring COCOBOD’s financial health and protecting the livelihoods of cocoa farmers across the country.
The cocoa industry has been under pressure in recent months, particularly due to delays in payments to farmers.