The Ashanti Business Owners Association (ABOA) has rejected police accusations that its members were involved in the sale of counterfeit insecticide products.
This follows an operation by the Ashanti Regional Police Command on Friday, which resulted in the arrest of three business owners and distributors in Kumasi.
The operation, initiated after a complaint by Evergreen Chemist Limited — the exclusive UK importer of the ‘Kill It’ insecticide brand in Ghana — targeted shops in Adum and Tech allegedly retailing insecticides suspected to be counterfeit and sourced from Nigeria.
Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Emmanuel Teye Cudjoe, indicated that the suspects could face charges relating to false packaging, misleading advertising, and the deceptive sale of regulated products.
According to the Association’s Executive Secretary, Charles Appiah Kubi, the ‘Kill It’ insecticide is legitimately produced in England and distributed by authorized agents in several countries, including Ghana and Nigeria.
He explained that the arrested traders sourced their stock from Nigeria after fulfilling all the requisite trade and importation protocols.
“Our members only respond to market demand, and that’s exactly what they did,” Mr. Appiah Kubi stated. “The products in question bear manufacturing dates, expiry dates, and batch numbers — unlike the versions supplied by the Ghana agent, which lack such critical details. We will let the public be the judge.”
Mr. Appiah Kubi appealed to the police to avoid actions that could unjustly damage the reputation of legitimate businesses.
“It takes immense effort to build a business and its reputation. We expect the Police to seek verification from the Ghana Standards Authority to determine the authenticity of the products before drawing conclusions,” he stressed.
The Association affirmed its readiness to collaborate with law enforcement agencies in the interest of protecting both consumers and businesses.
