4 arraigned over illegal transportation of cocoa beans from Tepa to Accra

Four individuals have been arraigned before the Dansoman Circuit Court for allegedly conspiring to illegally transport cocoa beans from Tepa in the Ashanti Region to Accra, without the requisite authorisation from the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).

The accused, Kofi Boateng, a driver; Seth Kwabena Baffour, also a driver; and their respective driver’s mates, Joseph Yakubu and Amponsah Paul are facing two charges: conspiracy to commit a crime, to wit, transporting cocoa beans without authority and the substantive offence of transporting cocoa beans without authority.

The charges are in contravention of Section 23(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and Section 15 of the Cocoa Industry Regulation Act, 1968 (NLCD 278).

According to the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Christopher Wonder, the accused were arrested on May 30, 2025 at Dome Market in Accra, following a tip-off received by Patrick Ocansey, a Principal Service Officer with COCOBOD.

The two cargo trucks, with registration numbers GN 8967-17 and AS 4066-21 were found parked at the market, loaded with 159 and 198 bags of cocoa beans respectively.

Investigations revealed that the accused had concealed the cocoa with plantains, in an attempt to evade detection. They offloaded the plantains upon arrival at Dome, exposing the illicit cargo.

The accused allegedly claimed the goods belonged to one “Kwame,” but were unable to assist the police in locating or identifying the individual.

All four pleaded not guilty when arraigned.

Her Honour Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit, presiding over the case, granted bail to the accused with strict conditions:

Kofi Boateng (A1) was granted bail of GH¢500,000 with three sureties — two must be public servants earning not less than GH¢2,000 monthly and one must provide justification.

Seth Kwabena Baffour (A2) received a higher bail amount of GH¢650,000 under the same conditions.

Joseph Yakubu (A3) and Amponsah Paul (A4), both driver’s mates, were each granted bail of GH¢100,000 also with three sureties, including two public servants and one justification.

The court ordered all accused to deposit their Ghana Cards and report to the police every two weeks.

The case docket is to be referred to the Attorney General’s Office for further advice, as the quantity of cocoa involved exceeds the substantive prosecutor’s jurisdiction. The case has been adjourned to July 23, 2025.

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