Dansoman Circuit Court has granted bail to four men accused of conspiring to illegally transport hundreds of bags of cocoa beans from the Ashanti Region to Accra without authorisation from the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
Her Honour Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit, who presided over the case, imposed strict bail conditions following the suspects’ not-guilty pleas.
Kofi Boateng, a driver and first accused(A1), was granted bail in the sum of GH¢500,000 with three sureties — two of whom must be public servants earning no less than GH¢2,000 monthly. One surety must also justify the source of assets.
His co-driver, Seth Kwabena Baffour (A2), faced stiffer bail terms: GH¢650,000, also with three sureties under the same conditions.
The two drivers’ mates, Joseph Yakubu(A3) and Amponsah Paul (A4), were each granted GH¢100,000 bail with identical surety requirements.
In addition to the financial conditions, the court ordered all four accused to deposit their Ghana Cards with the court registry and report to the police biweekly until the case is concluded.
Brief fact
According to the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Christopher Wonder, the accused were arrested on May 30, 2025, at Dome Market in Accra. The arrest followed a tip-off from Patrick Ocansey, a Principal Service Officer at COCOBOD.
Two cargo trucks with registration numbers GN 8967-17 and AS 4066-21, loaded with 159 and 198 bags of cocoa beans respectively, were intercepted. Prosecutors say the cocoa was concealed beneath plantains to disguise the illegal shipment.
Upon arrival in Accra, the plantains were offloaded, revealing the bags of cocoa beans. The accused allegedly told police the goods belonged to a man named “Kwame,” but have since failed to assist in identifying or locating this individual.
The accused face two charges: conspiracy to commit a crime and unauthorised transportation of cocoa beans — contrary to Section 23(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and Section 15 of the Cocoa Industry Regulation Act, 1968 (NLCD 278).
Because the volume of cocoa involved exceeds the prosecutorial threshold of the court, the case docket is expected to be transferred to the Office of the Attorney General for legal advice and possible re-arraignment in a higher court.
The case has been adjourned to July 23, 2025, pending further directives.
