The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has asked the Commissioner of the Ghana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) Customs Division to halt all auction sales immediately.
This follows the division’s most recent investigations into alleged corruption and corruption-related offenses involving the auction sale of automobiles and other products between July 1, 2016 and August 15, 2022.
According to a statement signed by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, and dated August 22, 2022, the OSP has asked the Commissioner of the Customs Division, Colonel Kwadwo Damoah (retd), “to produce details regarding the suspected activities by September 30, 2022.”
Furthermore, the statement urged the Commissioner of the Customs Division to provide the OSP with some information and documents by the end of September.
“On 19th August, 2022, the Special Prosecutor directed the Commissioner of the Customs Division to produce the following to the Office of the Special Prosecutor on or before 30th September, 2022,” said.
The OSP is looking for specifics and a detailed description of all auctioned items, the amount of all auctioned items, the prices at which the items were auctioned, the date of each auction sale, and the full names, addresses, dates, and phone numbers of all successful bidders at all auction sales.
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Recall
The OSP retrieved GH¢1.074 million from Labianca, which belonged to Eunice Jacqueline Buah Asomah-Hinneh, a member of the Council of State representing the Western Region.
The sum reflected a deficiency in import duties paid to the state by the frozen foods industry.
Ms Asomah-Hinneh was accused of exploiting her position as a member of the Council of State and a member of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to get a favorable ruling from the Customs Division for her firm in an OSP investigation report.
The investigative report, dated August 3, 2022, is titled: “Report of Investigation into Alleged Commission of Corruption and Corruption-Related Offences involving the Labianca Group of Companies and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority.”
The OSP chastised Joseph Adu Kyei, a Deputy Commissioner of Customs in charge of Operations, for issuing an improper customs advance ruling that decreased the benchmark values of frozen items imported by Labianca Limited, therefore decreasing the company’s tax responsibilities to the state.
Accusations denied
Ms Asomah-Hinneh, on the other hand, has denied any wrongdoing and stated that she was unaware of the study or its conclusions and would speak to it after she had received information from the management of Labianca Company Limited.
“I cannot give any comment because I have not seen any report from the Special Prosecutor. I do not even know that the report is out,” she told the Daily Graphic.
Col Damoah, in response to the report, accused the OSP of seeking to defame him.
He explained that the OSP was trying to indict Mr Kyei “and myself and anyone who has read that report very well will know that the basis of that report is hollow”.
GRA
Meanwhile, in response to the OSP report, the GRA administration stated that it had taken efforts to guarantee that all charges of misconduct hanging over any of its employees were immediately and thoroughly examined.
It went on to say that any incidents of tax evasion or other violations of the authority’s statutes will be dealt with.
The GRA distanced itself from statements made by Col Damoah on the results of the investigations at the Customs Management Retreat on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, in a statement signed by the GRA’s Commissioner-General, Rev. Dr Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, and issued on Sunday, August 14, 2022.
It stated that the statements were made in Col Damoah’s personal capacity and did not reflect the views of the GRA’s board or administration.
Adu-Kyei reassigned
Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner of Customs in charge of operations, Joseph Adu-Kyei, has been seconded to the Ministry of Finance’s Revenue Policy Division.
According to a letter dated August 16, 2022 and signed by the Commissioner General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Rev Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, and obtained by the Daily Graphic, the secondment took effect immediately on August 15, 2022.
The letter, which did not state why Mr Adu-Kyei was reassigned, did urge him to provide handover notes and reports from his prior job before advancing to his new role.
“By a copy of this letter, the Coordinating Director at the ministry is to inform you of your duties upon assumption at your new office,” the letter said.
Other cases
In addition, the OSP is looking into over 75 cases of alleged corruption and corruption-related offenses.
Although the OSP has not yet recorded any convictions or acquittals, two cases are now pending in criminal courts, one at the High Court, and the remainder are in the early stages of investigation.
Prosecutions
Among the 75 is the trial of Adjenim Boateng Adjei, the former Chief Executive of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).
He was charged with eight counts of profiting from public office and nine counts of influencing the procurement process to gain an unfair advantage in the award of a procurement contract.
His brother-in-law was also charged with one count of profiting from public office.
The two are on trial in Accra’s Criminal Division of the High Court.
Alexander Kwabena Sarfo-Kantanka, the President’s nominee for the position of Municipal Chief Executive for Juaben in the Ashanti Region, was charged with 26 corruption charges in a public election on May 24, 2022.
He is currently standing trial at the Criminal Division of the High Court in Kumasi.
The OSP is also looking into allegations of bribery by Airbus SE, a European multinational aerospace business, in the sale and procurement of military aircraft for the Republic of Ghana.
Under the mutual legal assistance framework, the OSP collaborates with INTERPOL and the central authorities of the United Kingdom and the United States.
SOURCE: GRAPHICONLINE
