The Office of the Special Prosecutor reportedly arrested the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in charge of Finance and Administration at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.

According to a report by TV3, the deputy CEO was arrested over allegations of conflict of interest against him concerning the operations of his former company, Atlas Commodities Limited.

The report indicated that Ato Boateng was released on Wednesday after he was granted bail.

“Ato Boateng, Deputy Chief Executive of COCOBOD in charge of Finance and Administration, has been granted bail by the Office of the Special Prosecutor following investigations into alleged conflict of interest involving his former company, Atlas Commodities Limited,” a post the media house shared on X reads.

Meanwhile, Ato Boateng has refuted the allegations of conflict of interest raised against him by proponents of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), including Old Tafo MP Vincent Ekow Assafuah.

In a statement sighted by GhanaWeb, Ato Boateng denied Assafuah’s claim that he has been using his position at COCOBOD to influence decisions in favour of Atlas Commodities Limited, a licensed buying company (LBC) he established in 2018.

While welcoming calls from Assafuah for investigations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Boateng described the allegations as frivolous.

The statement clarified that he resigned from Atlas Commodities before joining COCOBOD, eliminating any potential conflict of interest.

"Ato Boateng incorporated Atlas Commodities in 2018 and managed it until his appointment as the Deputy CEO, Finance & Administration at Ghana Cocoa Board. Before his appointment on February 5, 2025, Ato Boateng resigned as director from Atlas Commodities Limited in January 2025. He also signed a transfer of shareholding in Atlas to a trust managed by Mr Edinam Yao Cofie. Ato Boateng assumed his role in February 2025. He declared his interest in Atlas Commodities Limited and the trust as part of the Asset and Liabilities Declaration required of public officers," the statement read.

GhanaWeb has also sighted Boateng’s letter of resignation, addressed to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Atlas Commodities Limited, as evidence of his formal exit from the company.

COCOBOD Deputy CEO responds to conflict of interest allegation

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