The Attorney-General, Dr Dominic Ayine, has announced that his office will initiate criminal proceedings against the founder and leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Percival Kofi Akpaloo, over the alleged diversion of GH¢3,169,432.22 belonging to a cocoa roads project under the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
Addressing a press briefing in Accra on Monday, December 22, 2025, Dr Ayine disclosed that investigations have revealed a calculated scheme involving the creation of a near-identical company name to fraudulently divert funds meant for a legitimate contractor.
Near-Identical Company Used to Divert Funds
According to the Attorney-General, COCOBOD awarded a GH¢29.5 million contract in December 2020 to Pomaa Universal Ghana Limited, a company owned by Ekua Pomaa, to undertake cocoa roads construction works.
However, Dr Ayine said Mr Akpaloo and his wife later incorporated another entity named Pomaah Universal Ghana Limited, deliberately adding the letter “H” to mirror the original contractor’s name.
“Between December 2022 and June 2024, Mr Akpaloo collected eight cheques issued by COCOBOD in the name of Pomaa Universal Ghana Limited, totalling GH¢3,169,432.22, and deposited them into the account of his own company, Pomaah Universal Ghana Limited, at First Bank Ghana Limited,” Dr Ayine stated.
Forgery, Stealing and Money Laundering Charges
The Attorney-General confirmed that three suspects will be charged with stealing, forgery, and money laundering. They include:
- Percival Kofi Akpaloo
- Pomaah Universal Ghana Limited
- Mrs Delvin Akpaloo
Dr Ayine further revealed that Ekua Pomaa was completely unaware of the diverted payments until June 2024, when COCOBOD contacted her regarding outstanding balances on the contract.
“Our investigations show that the rightful contractor had no knowledge of the diversion or the existence of the second company until COCOBOD reached out,” he said.
In addition to the diversion of funds, Ekua Pomaa has alleged that Mr Akpaloo forged her signature on the COCOBOD contract and used her former name, Mercy Owusu, without authorisation to secure the agreement.
FIC and EOCO Trigger Investigations
The suspicious transactions were first detected by the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), which alerted First Bank Ghana Limited, prompting further investigations by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
Dr Ayine disclosed that First Bank conducted an internal review and admitted lapses, confirming that the cheques were knowingly paid into the wrong account despite inconsistencies between the payee names and beneficiary accounts.
Charges to Be Filed After Christmas
Reacting to the case, Dr Ayine issued a stern warning about rising financial crimes involving family members.
“It is fast becoming fashionable to commit crimes with spouses these days,” he remarked.
He confirmed that formal charges will be filed after the Christmas break, when the Attorney-General’s Department resumes work.
The case adds to growing public scrutiny over corruption in public contracts and reinforces government efforts to clamp down on financial crimes within Ghana’s cocoa sector.
