The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has dismissed a petition filed against the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr Randy Abbey, after concluding that the allegations brought against him were not supported by sufficient evidence.
The petition questioned whether Dr Abbey had complied with constitutional requirements on asset declaration and raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding his appointment and conduct in office. After reviewing the complaint and examining the evidence, CHRAJ determined that the claims did not establish any wrongdoing and therefore dismissed the case.
One of the key allegations was that Dr Abbey had declared his assets under the designation “Policy Advisor” instead of listing his position as COCOBOD Chief Executive. However, CHRAJ found that the declaration was still valid and met the legal requirements under Ghana’s asset declaration laws.
Another reason for dismissing the petition was that the complainant failed to provide credible evidence proving that Dr Abbey had violated any constitutional or statutory provisions regarding asset declaration. CHRAJ concluded that the claims were largely based on assumptions rather than verifiable facts.
The commission also determined that the CEO had complied with the relevant constitutional provisions by declaring his assets within the legally permitted period after assuming office. This meant there was no breach of the law as alleged in the petition.
Additionally, CHRAJ found no evidence of conflict of interest or abuse of office linked to Dr Abbey’s role at COCOBOD. The investigation concluded that the claims made in the petition did not demonstrate any misconduct that would warrant further action.
Finally, the commission ruled that the petition itself did not present a strong legal basis for sanctions or disciplinary measures against the COCOBOD boss. As a result, CHRAJ dismissed the complaint in its entirety and cleared Dr Abbey of all allegations.
The decision effectively ends the controversy surrounding the petition and allows Dr Randy Abbey to continue serving as head of COCOBOD without any pending investigation from the commission.
