Police arrest 2 for diverting 296 bags of cocoa
The Kwesimintsim Police have arrested two employees of a local cocoa processing company for an alleged diversion of 296 bags of cocoa valued at over GH¢100,000.
Advertisement
The suspects, Paa Kwesi Nkrumah, a warehouse attendant, and Henry Coffie, a shipping officer, are currently assisting the police in their investigations. The cocoa belonged to the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
A third suspect, said to be the driver of the vehicle used in the diversion of the cocoa, is currently on the run.
Tip-off
The Head of Security/Intelligence of the COCOBOD Kejebril Warehouse, Apowa Community Village Complex, near Takoradi, Major Michael Adjei (Retd), who briefed the Daily Graphic, said that the two were arrested following a tip-off after which he detailed his men to investigate the alleged diversion.
According to Major Adjei, the security personnel encountered Nkkrumah and Coffie on the company’s premises but they denied any knowledge about the consignment which the COCOBOD security suspected had been delivered to Real Products.
He added that the two also disallowed the COCOBOD security personnel to inspect Real Products’ warehouse upon request, with the excuse that their boss was not around.
COCOBOD mandate
The Head of Security said his men then made it clear to the suspects that it was only COCOBOD that had the mandate to handle cocoa beans in particular, and that they also needed to ascertain beyond reasonable doubt that no cocoa was being illegally stored in the company’s warehouse.
He said the suspects later succumbed to the inspection of the warehouse after persistent demands.
Major Adjei said upon opening the warehouse, the security found to their amazement 296 ungraded bags of cocoa with seals and station marks.
Investigations
He said investigations revealed that there was an unorthodox cover letter head of a haulage company called Trade & Haulage Ghana Limited, on which entries had been made in manuscripts, indicating among other things an improper waybill.
Major Adjei further indicated that the documents did not show the source of the cocoa bags and so ‘‘these anomalies compelled us to make a formal report to the police for further investigations.”