BNI To Arrest Cheating Purchasing Cocoa Clerks

Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), has said that, it has noted with deep concern, reports of adjustment of weighing scales by some purchasing clerks (PCs) and their accomplices in a bid to cheat the farmers. A press statement issued by COCOBOD said, it considered this as a very serious offence. It said, it was, therefore, illegal for any LBC or their representative to purchase cocoa beans with weighing scales which are different from what has been certified by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA). As recently announced by COCOBOD, a bag of 64kg of cocoa is to be sold at Three Hundred and Fifty Ghana Cedis (GH�350.00). �All Cocoa, Coffee and Sheanut farmers, who suspect any manipulation of scales used by Purchasing Clerks in their localities, must immediately report the cheating Clerks to officials of COCOBOD or the police for investigation�. It disclosed that �Officials of COCOBOD, Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and National Security will be on the field to check and arrest Purchasing Clerks who do not heed to this caution for prosecution. COCOBOD will continue to monitor activities of LBCs to ensure sanity in the cocoa industry�. COCOBOD it said, �has supported the Ghana Cocoa, Coffee and Sheanut Farmers Association to Purchase weighing scales and test stones to monitor activities of Purchasing Clerks�. The statement issued by the Public Affairs Department said, �these scales and test stones have been distributed to the cocoa communities. We urge our cherished farmers to use them to help curb the menace�. COCOBOD, has the welfare of every farmer at heart and will, therefore, not condone any form of cheating in the industry, the statement concluded.