InsightNewsgh.com has been rightly informed that the Office of the Special Prosecutor is prosecuting four people.
Those who are administrators in the vice president’s office, James Keck Osei and Issah Seidu, who work with the National Insurance Commission, as well as John Abban and Peter Archibold, both senior customs officials, was found corrupt in the Prosecutor’s Special Case.
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The four were investigated after the special prosecutor’s office accused them of failing to declare their source of income.
They were charged in court on Monday, February 13, 2023, and three of them were released on bail while one did not appear in court.
The special prosecutor received a complaint from a businessman who imported rice into the country. What is disturbing is that another person, the first defendant (Issah Seidu), also attempted to delete the same goods.
The vice president’s office is said to have written to the customs commissioner asking for the release of bags of rice imported by a businessman who was competing with another businessman for ownership of the same goods. This resulted in the disgruntled businessman filing a complaint with the Office of the Special Counsel, which led to charges against an administrator in the Vice President’s office, James Keck Osei, and three others.
The businessman claimed the GRA investigated the matter and requested delivery for him.
A statement signed by the Vice President’s secretariat by Augustine Blay, secretary of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, revealed that Keck Osei found himself breaking the law by writing an illegal letter to the Commissioner of the Authority. Revenue from Ghana “requires assistance in clearing 15 containers of rice” imported from Thailand in April 2022.
“Among others, the letter falsely conveyed that the Office [of the Vice President] needed the containers of rice for Ramadan festivities,” the Vice President’s Secretariat said.
He said the GRA did not honor Keck Osei’s letter, but instead informed him that there was another person asking for the rice.
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Four people were charged with failing to comply with a lawful request from an authorized officer.
The court granted the manager of the vice president’s office a self-recognition bond, while Issah Seidu and Peter Archibold were released on bail of GH10,000 each.
The other defendant, John Abban, did not appear in court.
Below is a full copy of the response signed by the Secretary to the Vice President, Augustine Blay:
- On 27th April 2022, Mr. James Keck Osei addressed an unauthorized letter to the Commissioner General of GRA seeking assistance in clearing fifteen containers of rice.
- Among others, the letter falsely conveyed that the Office needed the containers of rice for the Ramadan festivities.
- The Ghana Revenue Authority did not comply with Mr. Keck Osei’s letter but rather informed him that there was another claimant to the rice. On receipt of this information, Mr. James Keck Osei wrote another letter on 5th July 2022, to withdraw his letter of 27th April 2022. In this second letter, Mr. Osei stated that the Commissioner should cancel any prior action taken based on his previous letter.
- In September 2022, it came to the attention of the Office of the Vice President that Mr. James Keck Osei has been invited to the Office of the Special Prosecutor to assist in an investigation related to rice importation.
- The Office of the Vice President was satisfied with the decision by the Special Prosecutor to continue with its investigation into the matter, resulting in a decision announced on Friday, 10th February 2023, that Mr. Osei has been arraigned to appear before court on Monday, 13th February 2023.
- Pursuant to the announcement by the Special Prosecutor, the Chief Director at the Office of the President has begun investigating the matter in accordance with the civil service procedures, rules and regulations and where a breach is established in respect of Civil Service rules and regulations, the service shall apply the necessary sanctions.
- It is ONLY the Secretary to the Vice President who is mandated to write letters on behalf of the Office of the Vice President and Mr. Osei did not have any such authority.
