Management of Cocoa Processing Company PLC has reportedly interdicted seven employees following a special audit that uncovered over GH¢4.3 million in unaccounted receivables linked to the operations of the company’s consumer cooperative shop in Tema.
The action follows findings by the Ghana Audit Service, which examined the activities of the CPC Consumer Cooperative Shop for the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 financial periods.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the audit, completed in March 2026, identified major financial irregularities involving products supplied by the company to the union-operated shop.
Auditors reportedly established that the facility owed the company GH¢4,373,355.04 as of September 2025 for goods received from CPC.
The report also raised concerns over the operation of the shop on company premises without payment of rent or utility bills, including electricity and water charges.
The Ghana Audit Service is said to have cautioned that failure to recover the outstanding amount could negatively affect the company’s financial stability.
Information gathered indicates that the interdicted officers include four members of the shop’s management committee, two patrons linked to the operation and the shopkeeper in charge of daily activities.
Sources within the company disclosed that management issued audit queries to the affected officers after receiving the report, demanding explanations over the discrepancies and financial issues raised.
The officers reportedly responded to the queries before disciplinary action was taken, with some contesting parts of the findings and denying any wrongdoing.
However, management is said to have concluded that the responses provided did not adequately address the concerns raised in the audit report.
One of the interdiction letters sighted by this publication, dated 11 May 2026 and signed by Managing Director William Coffie, stated that management considered further investigations necessary to establish the full circumstances surrounding the matter.
The letter also indicated that the decision formed part of efforts to comply with recommendations made by the Ghana Audit Service regarding the recovery of the outstanding debt.
As part of the interdiction measures, the affected officers have reportedly been barred from making withdrawals from the cooperative shop’s bank accounts.
They have also been directed to participate in a stock-taking exercise to be supervised by the company’s Audit and Accounts Departments together with the Security Coordinator.
The employees are expected to hand over their responsibilities while remaining on two-thirds of their salaries pending the outcome of investigations, in accordance with the company’s collective agreement.
The audit recommendations further urged CPC management to put in place measures to ensure proper accounting for rent, water and electricity charges associated with the operation of the consumer shop going forward.
The development has sparked discussion among sections of the workforce, with concerns reportedly growing over the size of the alleged debt and its implications for both management and the unions connected to the facility.
Management of Cocoa Processing Company PLC has yet to issue an official public statement on the matter beyond the interdiction notices served on the affected employees.
