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Attorney general details alleged COCOBOD contract fraud involving Kofi Akpaloo
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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
Deputy National Women Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mimi Duah, has openly declared her support for Mavis Hawa Koomson as the next National Women’s Organiser of the party.
In a statement endorsing Hawa Koomson’s candidature, Ms Duah outlined four key reasons why she believes the former MP and Minister of State is best placed to lead the party’s women’s wing.
According to her, Hawa Koomson is a motherly figure who rose from the grassroots and is widely noted for her forgiving nature and ability to foster unity.
“She is a true grassroots mother who easily forgives, fosters unity, provides guidance and arbitrates to ensure all aggrieved party women are brought on board to ensure a unified women’s wing,” she stated.
Ms Duah also pointed to Hawa Koomson’s vast experience, having served as a Constituency Women’s Organiser, Member of Parliament and Minister of State, noting that the experience positions her to provide effective leadership as National Women’s Organiser.
She further described Hawa Koomson as capable of making the women’s wing resourceful, through her extensive network and business contacts, to lobby for logistics, training and financial support for women organisers at all levels.
Lastly, she said the NPP as an opposition party needs fearless, bold and assertive leadership at the women’s front to inspire regional, constituency and polling station women organisers as the party reorganises towards the 2028 elections.
“We need a Women’s Organiser who has been tested, who is bold, who understands grassroots women, and who can lead us to victory in 2028. Hon. Mavis Hawa Koomson is that leader,” she stressed.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
News
Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister inaugurates Ghana-Korea Heritage Project Steering Committee
Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has inaugurated the Ghana-Korea Heritage Project Steering Committee to provide strategic oversight for a five-year programme focused on preserving Ghana’s heritage sites and strengthening their resilience to climate change.
The project will support climate-risk mapping, digital surveying and 3D modelling, joint research, capacity building, community engagement and modern monitoring technologies.
Korea is also providing specialised equipment, including drones, 3D scanners, digital microscopes, thermal imaging cameras and GPS survey instruments, to enhance Ghana’s capacity to scientifically assess, document and conserve heritage structures.
The partnership, which will run through 2030 and beyond, is expected to deepen Ghana-Korea cultural ties while promoting sustainable, technology-driven and climate-adaptive heritage management for future generations.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
