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Attorney general details alleged COCOBOD contract fraud involving Kofi Akpaloo
The Attorney General, Dominic Ayine, has detailed an alleged fraud case involving Mr Percival Kofi Akpaloo of the Liberal Party of Ghana, linking it to suspicious financial transactions connected to a COCOBOD feeder road contract.
Addressing the Government Accountability Series at the Jubilee House, he explained that the Financial Intelligence Centre flagged unusual transactions on an account held at First Bank Ghana and filed a Suspicious Transaction Report.
He noted that this action prompted an investigation by the Economic and Organised Crime Office, which established that Pomaa Universal (Gh.) Ltd, owned entirely by Akua Pomaa, was the rightful contractor awarded a COCOBOD feeder road project valued at over GH₵29.5 million in December 2020.
According to him, the project began and the first payment was correctly paid into the company’s account.
He explained that problems emerged with later payments, which raised red flags about misrepresentation, forgery and the unauthorized handling of cheques.
He disclosed that investigations showed Mr Akpaloo secretly registered a second company named Pomaah Universal (Gh.) Ltd, deliberately designed to closely resemble the original firm, with the difference being the addition of the letter “h”.
He stated that between December 2022 and June 2024, Mr Akpaloo collected eight cheques issued by the Ghana Cocoa Board in the name of Pomaa Universal (Gh.) Ltd, amounting to GH₵3,169,432.22, and deposited them into the account of his own company at First Bank Ghana.
He further explained that Akua Pomaa only became aware of the diversion in June 2024 after COCOBOD contacted her about outstanding payments on the contract. Upon making checks, she discovered that the funds had been redirected without her approval.
He added that she also alleged her signature was forged on the COCOBOD contract, using her former name, Mercy Owusu, to secure the agreement without her consent.
According to him, internal investigations by First Bank Ghana confirmed the fraud claims and concluded that Mr Akpaloo knowingly misrepresented ownership of the cheques.
He pointed out that the bank admitted operational failures, including its inability to detect differences between cheque payee names and account details.
He mentioned that the suspects investigated include Percival Kofi Akpaloo, Pomaah Universal (Gh.) Ltd and Delvine Akpaloo, the spouse of Mr Akpaloo.
He stressed that the evidence points to offences such as stealing, forgery and money laundering, adding that the suspects are expected to be charged in January as part of the accountability process.
By: Jacob Aggrey
National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Executive Committee member and Volta River Authority (VRA) Board Member, Wonder Victor Kutor, has described calls for the resignation of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa as premature and unjustified.
He argued that there was no evidence to establish that the minister had committed any wrongdoing to warrant such demands.
Speaking on Joy News in Accra on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Mr Kutor questioned what had changed to justify the growing calls for the minister to step down.
He recalled that the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, had earlier indicated that the opposition was not accusing Mr Ablakwa of any wrongdoing.
Mr Kutor, therefore, challenged those demanding the minister’s resignation to provide fresh evidence to support their position.
“The call for the Minister to resign is premature, it is untenable. There is no evidence. I mean, what has he done wrong?” he questioned.
He added that documents, including boarding passes, airline receipts and flight manifests relating to the minister’s return journey, had been provided.
Mr Kutor expressed concern that the calls for Mr Ablakwa’s resignation could discourage young politicians from speaking out against corruption and advocating transparency.
According to him, politicians should not be targeted or maligned for demanding accountability, warning that such treatment could create the impression that speaking against corruption could later become a liability when one is appointed to public office.
He maintained that calling for accountability and transparency should not be used as grounds to target public officials without evidence of wrongdoing.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana will host the Africa Festival of Arts, Culture and Creatives (AFESTAC) 2026 alongside Industrial Skills Week Africa (ISWA) 2026 in Accra from December 9 to 12, 2026.
On the back of these programmes, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called on corporate Ghana, the media and the general public to support the initiative through partnerships, sponsorships and active participation.
The events, supported by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), will bring together stakeholders to celebrate Africa’s rich cultural heritage, strengthen the creative economy, promote industrial skills development and create employment opportunities for young people.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
