Customs Division Of Ghana Revenue Authority
On 3 August 2022, I published an investigation report in respect of a complaint against Labianca Company Limited and the Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority. A major finding of the investigation, which led to the recovery of GHC1,074,627.15, is that the conduct of the investigated officers portends an institutionalised culture of lighthearted unconcern regarding impropriety of action at the Customs Division – which indicates a high propensity to engender corruption and corruption-related activities; and that the officers ignored mandatory provisions of the Customs Act, 2015 (Act 891) and engaged in their own predilections.
On the basis of the report, the Office of the Special Prosecutor has commenced a wider investigation into the issuance of customs advance rulings and markdowns of benchmark values between July 2017 and December 2021.
On 11 August 2022, I directed the Commissioner of the Customs Division to submit to the Office of the Special Prosecutor, on or before 30 September 2022, the particulars of all applications for customs advance ruling, applications for a markdown of benchmark values, applications for private rulings and class rulings pertaining to the application of customs law and the decision on each of the applications within the indicated period.
On 11 August 2022, I wrote to the Commissioner-General of Ghana Revenue Authority to submit an Integrity Plan designed with the aim of preventing the corruption of the exercise of discretion by officials of the Customs Division, especially in respect of the rendering of rulings, to assure the effective operation of the Customs Act, 2015 (Act 891) and the Revenue Administration Act, 2016 (Act 915), on or before 31 December 2022.
[SGD]
KISSI AGYEBENG
SPECIAL PROSECUTOR