Former Cocobod CEO Joseph Boahen Aidoo Returns Official Luxury Vehicle Amid Audit Pressure
- Former Cocobod CEO Joseph Boahen Aidoo reportedly returned an assigned government vehicle amid audit scrutiny
- Cocobod is dealing with a financial review over liabilities estimated at GH¢32.9 billion inherited by the current leadership
- Investigations into procurement concerns include rejected items and potential legal actions for transparency
An official vehicle previously assigned to Joseph Boahen Aidoo when he was the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board has been returned to the state.
The vehicle has courted controversy following audit queries and financial liabilities reportedly accumulated during his tenure under the Akufo-Addo administration.
Source: Facebook
Class FM reported that Aidoo returned the vehicle to Cocobod’s headquarters in Accra after he was reportedly informed that the National Investigations Bureau could be engaged to retrieve the car.
This return comes some 14 months after he left his government appointment.
In general, former managers of Cocobod are reportedly facing increasing scrutiny over unresolved audit queries raised by the Ghana Audit Service.
Currently, the Chief Executive, Randy Abbey, has undertaken a review of the institution’s financial status following the transition in leadership. Sources suggest that the new administration inherited liabilities estimated at GH¢32.9 billion.
In response to the audit concerns, portions of the findings have reportedly been forwarded to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for further investigations and possible legal action where necessary.
Among the procurement issues under review are contracts involving farm inputs and equipment reportedly valued at hundreds of millions of dollars.
These included slashers, pruners, fertilisers, insecticides, jute sacks, solar lanterns and Wellington boots that were intended for distribution to cocoa farmers nationwide.
The Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central and Chairman of the Finance Committee, Isaac Adongo, called for severe punishment for appointees of the erstwhile administration, led by former President Nana Akufo-Addo, for mismanaging Cocobod and the cocoa sector.
Earlier allegation from Cocobod
The Head of Public Affairs at Cocobo, Jerome Kwaku Sam, first made similar claims against Aidoo.
Speaking in an interview with Adom TV, Sam alleged that he left office with a Land Cruiser and a saloon car belonging to the state.
Source: Facebook
According to him, the Land Cruiser was meant to be used by the Cocobod CEO for official visits to cocoa-growing areas due to the poor nature of roads in those parts of the country, while the saloon car was meant for use within Accra.
However, upon leaving office following the electoral defeat of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 election, he claimed Aidoo went home with the two cars.
Captain Smart calls for Cocobod reshuffle
YEN.com.gh reported that a broadcaster with Onua TV, Blessed Godsbrain Smart, popularly referred to as Captain Smart, has called for changes at the Cocobod.
Amid recent turbulence in the sector, and without naming any officials, Captain Smart said that a reshuffle was necessary at the controversial state agency.
He also addressed suggestions that influence from the First Lady, Lordina Mahama, may have rendered the Cocobod CEO untouchable.
Source: YEN.com.gh
