Former COCOBOD CEO forced to return state vehicle after 14months

Former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has returned an official vehicle assigned to him after reportedly retaining it for 14 months following the end of his tenure.

COCOBOD disclosed that Mr Aidoo did not submit any formal application to either retain or purchase the vehicle after leaving office, raising concerns about why it remained in his possession for such a prolonged period.

The Board indicated that the matter had already been referred to the National Investigations Bureau, which had initiated investigations into the circumstances surrounding the vehicle before it was eventually returned.

Speaking to Citi News on Tuesday, March 10, Head of Public Affairs at COCOBOD, Jerome Sam, said the vehicle was quietly driven into the COCOBOD premises at dawn on February 27, 2026.

Mr Sam noted that the Board would determine its next course of action once investigations by the National Investigations Bureau are completed.

“The car has been in the possession of the former CEO for over one year, that is 14 months. One year, two months for no reason. If there was no formal requisition, then on what justification must the car be in your possession? Whereas the CEO [Randy Abbey] was left with no vehicle, so all this time, he has been using his own private vehicle.

“We had formally written to the National Investigations Bureau to cause investigations as to what led to the former CEO arrogating the car to himself for that period, although it has been returned. It doesn’t bar the NIB from causing investigations into the whole matter,” he stated.