Special Prosecutor goes after Customs again, investigates auctioning of cars, goods

The Office of the Special Prosecutor has commenced investigations into corruption and corruption-related offences in the auction of vehicles and goods by the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority.

In a statement announcing this development, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, said the investigation would cover the auction sale of cars and goods by Customs between July and August 2022.

“The Office of the Special Prosecutor has commenced investigation into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of auction sales of vehicles and other goods by the Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority between 1 July 2016 and 15 August 2022,” the statement said.

According to the Special Prosecutor, he has since written to demand some details from the Commissioner of the Customs Division to support his investigation.

Kissi Agyebeng said he has further directed the “Commissioner of the Customs Division to immediately halt and discontinue all auction sales till the investigation is concluded.”

The announcement by the Special Prosecutor comes on the back of a recent report by the OSP on an investigation in which he implicated officials of Customs and Labianca Company for tax evasion.

The report by the OSP, among other things, implicated officials of Labianca and the Customs Division of GRA for their various roles, which saw the company that deals in the importation of frozen foods benefiting from a reduction in the company’s tax liabilities.

Read the full statement by the OSP below: