Hackman Owusu-Agyemang hasn’t pocketed any per diem - COCOBOD

Management of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has refuted claims that the Board Chairman, Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, has 'pocketed' per diem given to him to enable him attend a programme on behalf of the organisation.

Earlier, media reports suggested that Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, had made away with some per diem for a trip he was not able to embark upon.

The said programme was organised for board members and senior executives of corporations and organisations across the world. Attendees included board members of other statutory corporations from Ghana and from many other countries.

But the management of COCOBOD has denied this allegation, describing it as “completely false”.

COCOBOD however, confirmed its Board Chairman “was indeed scheduled to attend a programme on Corporate Governance and Leadership outside the country; for which per diem was issued to him” but was unable to attend due to ill-health.

“He, therefore, returned the full sum of money issued to him as per diem to the Solicitor Secretary from whom he received the money in the first place,” the management of COCOBOD explained in a statement copied to Ghanaweb.

In a statement copied to GhanaWeb, the Management stated that "the current Board of COCOBOD has not taken a decision to scrap the bonus system for the staff of COCOBOD as have been alleged, and no one, not the Board Chairman or any other person, is championing having the payment of bonuses ceased."

The statement debunked allegations that, Hackman Owusu-Agyemang is calling for the scrapping of COCOBOD staff bonus system.

According to the management, the power of decision making at COCOBOD is not a sole responsibility of the Board Chairman, therefore, he cannot cease the payment of staff bonuses with the approval of other members of the Board.

“We wish to put on record that the Board of Directors of COCOBOD is made up of very reputable persons and one person cannot take decisions in the name of the Board. The Board Chairman and his colleagues have a cordial relationship. He is not authoritarian,” the statement further read.

Read below the full statement