OSP charges four persons over attempted hijack of rice containers at Tema Port

The Office of the Specila Prosecutor (OSP) has announced that four public officials have been formally charged with corruption in connection with a high-profile attempt to unlawfully acquire ten containers of imported rice at the Tema Port.

The accused—Issah Seidu of the National Insurance Commission, James Keck Osei, a former Director at the former Vice President’s Secretariat, and Customs officers John Abban and Peter Archibold Hyde, allegedly conspired to seize the containers using forged documents and a falsified letter purporting to originate from the Office of the Vice President.

According to court filings, the rice was legally imported from Thailand in 2022 and all required duties had been duly paid. However, Seidu, with support from the other accused, attempted to secure the release of the containers through the Ghana Revenue Authority’s auction process under false pretences.

The accused persons manipulated official processes with the aim of diverting the containers for their personal gain, the OSP revealed.

Internal investigations by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), coupled with a High Court ruling, brought the scheme to light.

The four are expected to appear before court on Friday, 27 June 2025, where they will answer to multiple counts of conspiracy to commit a crime, corruption, and abuse of public office.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor has assured the public that it will pursue the case vigorously to its logical conclusion, warning that more officials could be implicated as investigations continue.

This case follows growing public scrutiny of corruption within Ghana’s public service and a renewed pledge by the current administration to restore integrity to state institutions.

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