CHRAJ Clears COCOBOD CEO Ransford Abbey in Asset Declaration Complaint
- CHRAJ has cleared COCOBOD CEO Dr Ransford Abbey of allegations that he failed to declare his assets in line with Ghana’s asset declaration laws
- The Commission found that Dr Abbey submitted his asset declaration to the Auditor-General on March 24, 2025
- CHRAJ consequently dismissed the complaint filed by Asaase Radio journalist Wilberforce Asare, describing the allegations as wholly lacking merit
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The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr Ransford Abbey, has been cleared of any wrongdoing with respect to the asset declaration law.
This comes after the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) dismissed a complaint alleging that Dr Abbey failed to declare his assets in accordance with Ghana’s asset declaration laws.
Source: Facebook
Filed by a broadcast journalist with Asaase Radio, Wilberforce Asare, in November 2025, the complaint alleged that Dr Abbey had not declared his assets and liabilities in his capacity as CEO of COCOBOD.
This, he argued, contravened Article 286 of the 1992 Constitution and provisions of the Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act, 1998 (Act 550).
Wilberforce Asare backed his petition with information obtained through a Right to Information request to the Auditor-General, which indicated that the declaration made by Dr Abbey was in his previous capacity as a policy adviser to the Vice-President rather than as CEO of COCOBOD.
After reviewing the evidence and conducting an extensive investigation, CHRAJ, however, came to the conclusion that Dr Abbey had indeed declared his assets and liabilities as CEO of COCOBOD.
A report sighted by Classfmonline said that the CHRAJ findings indicated that Dr Abbey submitted his asset declaration to the Auditor-General on March 24, 2025, almost two months after his appointment as Acting CEO on January 21, 2025.
Abbey declared assets within required statutory period
According to the report, CHRAJ further noted that the declaration was made within the statutory period required under the law.
It consequently determined that the description of Dr Abbey as a “policy adviser to the Vice-President” in one of the records from the Audit Service was erroneous and did not reflect the position indicated by the respondent in his declaration documents.
“From the preponderance of probabilities, the respondent declared his assets and liabilities in his position as Chief Executive Officer and not as policy adviser to the Vice-President,” CHRAJ stated.
CHRAJ therefore concluded that Dr Abbey had fully complied with the asset declaration requirements stipulated under Article 286 of the Constitution and Act 550.
“The allegation brought against the respondent wholly lacks merit and is accordingly dismissed,” the Commission ruled.
In its decision, CHRAJ also commended Dr Abbey for the timely submission of his asset declaration forms to the Auditor-General.
The Commission described it as compliance with the constitutional and statutory obligations imposed on public office holders.
Source: Facebook
Mahama appointee cleared by CHRAJ
In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported that CHRAJ had dismissed a petition against Gerald Kofi Totobi Quakyi, Board Chairman of the National Gas Company, over alleged failure to declare his assets.
The Commission ruled that although Totobi Quakyi initially did not declare his assets, he subsequently complied with the law.
Journalist Wilberforce Asare had accused him and other Mahama appointees of violating asset declaration requirements, prompting a High Court mandamus application.
Source: YEN.com.gh
