The Sekondi Police Command of the Ghana Police Service has re-arrested four persons in connection with illegitimate purchases of government subsidised cocoa fertilisers for cocoa farmers.
The re-arrest comes after a Takoradi Circuit Court discharged the four who were standing trial for causing financial loss to the state, because the charges against them were not supporting the facts of the case.
The four, Dauda Yakubu, 42, Amadu Combat, 55, Kingsley Baah Wiredu, 32, and Isaka Mbawili, 38, were arrested around Samreboi by the police for buying and loading a truck with Aduanepa Fertilizers supplied to the farmers by the government.
Per arrangement, the government, through the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), subsidised the fertilisers to the farmers at a cost of GH¢80.00, which the farmers paid for at the end of the crop season.
How the four managed to buy a truck load of the subsidised fertilisers directly from the beneficiary farmers remains a mystery.
But, speaking in an interview with the media, the Director of Special Services of COCOBOD, Charles Amayaglo, said the activities of cocoa fertilisers smugglers were impacting negatively on cocoa yields.
He explained that, some Ghanaians had made it their business to go round to buy fertilisers subsidised by the government, and, in turn, sell it.
He said until the subsidised fertilisers were applied to the farms, ownership remained with COCOBOD.
“We procure these fertilisers at GH¢560 and give to farmers at GH¢80.00, transport to farming communities, and hand them over to the farmer cooperatives, and they distribute to their farmers.”
During the main crop season, he said, what the farmers needed to do was to pay 40% of the cost and the remainder was paid later.
“So, until you apply the fertilisers, COCOBOD remains the owner of the fertilisers,” he intimated.
The COCOBOD Director of Special Services told the media that from the truck load of fertilisers purchased by the four, it presupposed they went round buying from the farmers.
He denied that suppliers may have sold out the fertilisers to the four, however,, he would not rule out possibility of the farmers selling the products.
