Sunyani: The police have arrested two cocoa Purchasing Clerks (PCs) in the Dormaa Municipality of the Bono Region for allegedly short-changing cocoa farmers. The suspects, Robert Owusu, aged 63, and Kumi Acheaw, aged 45, both worked for the Yonkopa Company Limited and were accused of buying cocoa beans from farmers at prices below the approved producer price.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Joseph Addae Akwaboa, the Bono Regional Minister, explained during a news conference in Sunyani that the suspects were apprehended through police intelligence. He stated that investigations were ongoing to prosecute the suspects. Mr. Akwaboa highlighted that purchasing cocoa beans below the approved price poses a significant threat to farmers and the cocoa sector, potentially undermining the government's efforts to boost the industry.
Mr. Akwaboa assured that the government had allocated sufficient funds to ensure farmers received the approved prices. He emphasized that such actions by non-compliant PCs falsely suggest that the government is indebted to farmers, whereas the real issue lies with these individuals. The regional minister expressed concern over some PCs not fulfilling their responsibilities even when funds were released, prompting intensified monitoring by security services to identify and apprehend other offenders.
He called upon stakeholders in the cocoa value chain to act with patriotism and integrity, stressing the importance of fairness to farmers as part of nation-building efforts. Mr. Joseph Agyemang, a cocoa farmer from Dormaa-Kokroasua, shared his experience, noting that he received the new producer price for beans sold on January 18 and February 2, 2026.