Atlas Commodities Limited has dismissed allegations that the Deputy Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Ato Boateng, is influencing the company’s operations.
The clarification follows calls by the Minority in Parliament, led by Vincent Ekow Assafuah, Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, for an investigation into Atlas’ activities. The Minority alleged that the company had been operating in Produce Buying Company (PBC) warehouses without proper authorisation and raised concerns about possible regulatory breaches and conflicts of interest.
In a statement, Atlas said Mr. Boateng resigned as Director and Managing Director of the company on January 20, 2025, and transferred his shares into a blind trust on the same day — prior to his appointment as COCOBOD Deputy CEO in February 2025. The company stressed that he has had no role in its management, decision-making, or operations since his resignation.
Atlas, a fully Ghanaian-owned Licensed Buying Company operating under COCOBOD regulations since 2018, also defended its recent activities in the Volta and Oti Regions. It explained that it deployed staff to purchase cocoa from farmers who were unable to sell their produce due to the absence of active Licensed Buying Companies in those areas.
According to the company, about 3,000 bags of cocoa were purchased to prevent spoilage. It added that PBC depot facilities were used temporarily with approval from the local District Manager and that no financial support was received from COCOBOD for the exercise.
Atlas further noted that its collaboration with PBC is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding and a Tripartite Sustainability Agreement signed in October 2023 — months before Mr. Boateng’s appointment — and was structured for mutual operational benefit.
Reaffirming its commitment to transparency and regulatory compliance, the company maintained that its actions were intended to ease farmer distress and ensure uninterrupted cocoa purchases in underserved regions.
