Peter Boamah Otokunor, Director of Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness at the Office of the President, has described alleged mismanagement at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) under the previous administration as “crimes against humanity”.
Speaking in an interview with Gemma Appiah on JoyNews after engaging cocoa farmers in the Western Region, Dr Otokunor backed calls for those responsible to be prosecuted.
“I agree with the chief who said they must be prosecuted. Such levels of crime are crimes against humanity and must not be left to stand,” he said.
The comments follow growing anger among farmers, many of whom say they have not been paid for their cocoa beans since November 2025.
The Alliance for Western North Farmers has also called for the arrest and prosecution of officials it believes mismanaged funds under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
Dr Otokunor said the situation has had serious effects on farming communities during his recent visits to cocoa-growing areas.
Earlier, the Chief Executive of COCOBOD, Randy Abbey, apologised to farmers for the delays and confirmed that thousands had experienced payment challenges since November 2025.
Dr Otokunor also revealed that the Office of the Attorney General of Ghana has begun investigating COCOBOD following a directive from Cabinet on February 12, 2026.
The investigation will examine the board’s activities over the past eight years and will run alongside a forensic audit of its finances and operations.
Asked whether the previous administration mismanaged COCOBOD, Dr Otokunor responded: “Oh yes.”
