The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has recovered more than one million cedis from a company owned by a member of the Council of State, Eunice Jacqueline Buah Asomah-Hinneh.
The OSP said the amount represents a shortfall in import duties paid to the state.
A document signed by Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyabeng, said it received a written complaint from one Frank Asare against Labianca Group of Companies and its subsidiaries and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority.
It revealed that Miss Asomah-Hinneh used her position as a member of the Council of State and member of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority to get a favourable decision from the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, GRA.
A Deputy Commissioner of Customs in charge of Operations, Joseph Adu Kyei was cited by the OSP for issuing what it described as an unlawful customs advance ruling.
This, according to the document, reduced the benchmark values of the goods imported by Labianca Limited translating to reduced tax obligations of the Company to the state.
The report said on 21st March 2022, the Special Prosecutor issued an interim directive to Labianca Company Limited to pay million One Million Seventy-Four Thousand cedis Six Hundred and Twenty-Seven cedis Fifteen pesewas (GH¢1.074,627.50) representing the short collection or shortfall of revenue arising from the issuance of the unlawful customs advance ruling by the Deputy Commissioner for Customs in charge of operations, Joseph Adu Kyei into the Asset Recovery Account of the Office of the Special Prosecutor which Labianca Company Limited complied with.
The Special Prosecutor directs the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority to submit, on or before 31 December 2022, an Integrity Plan to the Office of the Special Prosecutor designed with the aim of preventing the corruption of the exercise of discretion by officials of the Customs Division.
