Ghana: OSP Lifts Embargo On Auction Sales By GRA Customs Division

13 September 2022

The Office of the Special Prosecutor has lifted the ban on the auctioning of cars by the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

This lift follows an earlier embargo placed on auction sales by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, last month.

In a review of that earlier directive, the Special Prosecutor in a statement issued in Accra yesterday said the Customs Division of the GRA could resume the auction sales effective yesterday, September 12, 2022.

"The auction should be conducted strictly in accordance with legal requirements, especially the Customs Act 2015 (Act 891).

"The Customs Division should corporate and work closely with authorised officers of the Office of the Special Prosecutor in respect of the investigation and the conduct of auction sales," the statement signed by Mr Agyebeng stressed.

It reminded "all officers of the Customs Division and prospective bidders at the subsequent auctions that the investigation is still active and ongoing".

Mr Agyebengon August 22 this year directed the then Commissioner of Customs Division, Col (Rtd) Kwadwo Damoah, to "immediately halt and discontinue all auction sales till investigation (into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of auction sales of vehicles and other goods by the Customs Division)was concluded".

The Special Prosecutor further directed the Commissioner of Customs to provide particular and clear description of all auctioned items, quantity of all auctioned items, prices, dates of auction, and full names, addresses and telephone of successful bidders at all auction sales.

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