Five Toyota Hilux cross country vehicles belonging to the Quality Control Division of Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod) at Bechem and Health and Extension Division in Sunyani, Brong Ahafo Region – which were allegedly auctioned under dubious circumstances on 30th December, 2016 by former Chief Executive Officer (of Cocobod), Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni – have been declared missing.
According to information available to DAILY GUIDE, the five vehicles with registration numbers, GM 905-Y, GT 8742-U, GW 3581-V, belonging to the Bechem Cocoa District and GT 9430-W and GE 3220-X, also belonging to the Health and Extension Division, were purportedly auctioned without the knowledge of branch managers and were seized whilst being driven by the buyers.
Speaking to DAILY GUIDE, Regional Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, said the party’s investigations had revealed that three of the vehicles – GM 905-Y, GT 8742-U and GW 3581-V – were bought by one Alex Frimpong and the other two – GT 9430-W and GE 3220-X – were also bought by one Alhaji Doudu Sahid at a cost of GH¢3,300 each.
All the above vehicles, he said, were sold at the Accra Cocobod office without the branch managers’ notice. According to the youth organizer, the transaction was done single-handedly by the former CEO in conjunction with the Director of Finance at the head office in Accra, Charles Doudu. Mr Kwame Baffoe said that those who bought the vehicles are “friends of the two big men.”
According to him, “What is even painful is that some cocoa districts in the region like Goaso and Sankore do not have vehicles to go on monitoring.”
He said worse of it all is that “The regional head office of Cocobod has only one car – Toyota Hilux GT 8532-11 – which is woefully inadequate for inspection in the region.”
He asserted that insistence by the Quality Control Division of the Sunyani branch made the claimants of the vehicles produce receipts signed by the former CEO. He said the above-mentioned vehicles are declared wanted.
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