Customs, Labianca scandal: ‘You’re a small boy, I’m older than you’ — Customs Commissioner fights Special Prosecutor

Col Kwadwo Damoah (Rtd), the Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has descended on the Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng following a recent corruption report.

He said the Special Prosecutor is scheming to destroy his image in an audio intercepted by ModernGhana News.

The report, which was released by the Office of the Special Prosecutor exposes some corrupt deals involving a Council of State Member Ms. Eunice Jacqueline Buah Asomah-Hinneh, the owner of Labianca Company Limited and some officials of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority at the Tema port.

The OSP investigated alleged corruption and corruption-related offences in the context of evasion and valuation of duties on frozen and processed food products imported into Ghana between 2017-2021.

The case, according to the OSP involved some high-ranking officials of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

Interestingly, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) managed to recover over GHC1 million GHC1,074, 627.15 from Labianca Foods in unpaid import duties.

The OSP has also called for wider investigations into Customs Division of the GRA and demanded a copy of Integrity plans to prevent corruption.

It was based on these revelations, Col K. Damoah (Rtd), the Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is describing the Special Prosecutor as a ‘small boy’ who cannot destroy him.

“Since three days ago what has been happening? A report purporting to be coming from the Special Prosecutor trying to indict (…) and myself. If anybody has read that report very well, you will know the basis of that and luckily for me, God is always on my side. Before that report came, that person has made a statement to some people who had come to them.

“He was going to publish something that will discredit me and he will do that. I even send people to go and tell him that he is a small boy. I’m older than him. I’ve lived a meaningful life. If he attempts to destroy me, it won’t be easy for him. People have tried and I’ve survived and this one I’ll survive,” he said at A staff durbar in Kumasi today Wednesday, August 10.

According to him, the report is nothing but an attempt by the Special Prosecutor to get at him for refusing to allow one Mr Akudugu to be seconded to his (Kissi Agyebeng’s) office.

“All that happened, one of the reasons was because of Mr. Akudugu. He wanted Mr Akudugu to be seconded to his office and I said ‘no’. Mr Akudugu is a customs officer employed to do customs work and he is to partner Mr. Akoto Sekyin in his office on Africa Continental Free Trade Area. He deals with tariffs and evaluation and therefore I cannot second him to the Office of the Special Prosecutor because he has a primary role to play in customs,” he stated.

Source: Modern Ghana0

CommissionerGRAsmall boySpecial Prosecutor