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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
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
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Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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