The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has reacted to a publication making rounds on social media and carried by a private radio station implicating the Customs Division of the Authority.
GRA in a press release described the publication as false, denied allegations of its Customs Division smuggling fuel contained in two vessels bound for Cote D’Ivoire from Togo.
“The Authority views these allegations as mischievous and malicious since they have no merit,” read an excerpt of the press release.
GRA setting the records straight, noted that the first vessel named “MT RandI” intercepted by the relevant agencies – GRA, Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) and the Ghana Navy – in Takoradi in May 2020 was duly escorted out of Ghana’s territorial waters after investigations revealed that the vessel was in a bad shape and could be hazardous to the environment.
The second vessel known as ‘Dende’, the statutory body explains, was found to contain 50,000 litres of fuel which was only offloaded by the GRA and GMA to avoid contamination after the vessel was detained by the Ghana Navy.
The vessel, GRA states, is currently in the custody of the Ghana Navy at the Western Naval Command Base. GRA has promised to make public, investigations pertaining to the arrest and detention of the ‘Dende’ vessel.
Details of GRA’s press release:
