The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has set up a nine-member investigative committee to probe the disappearance of 28 containers at the Tema Port. The move follows a petition dated September 29, 2026, from importers and their representatives alleging unauthorised removal and transfer of the containers.
The petitioners, including agents Elvis Kwabena Awuah and Ibrahim Amadou, and importer representatives Amadu Diande and Amadou Djiguba, claimed the containers were at various stages of customs clearance but later found empty, missing, or moved without owners’ consent. They cited several Bill of Lading numbers to support their case.
Commodities within the missing containers reportedly included cyanide, condensed milk, sardines, alcohol, textiles, pharmaceuticals, black pepper, and tomato paste. The petition further alleged some containers were offloaded into private warehouses near the GHACEM enclave, while others had been moved out of the port without owners’ knowledge.
The allegations have also been lodged with the Tema Regional Police Command, where some arrests were made. Those suspects have since been granted police enquiry bail.
Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, Commissioner General of the GRA, said the allegations were taken seriously due to their potential impact on revenue assurance, port security, and the authority’s reputation. He appointed Commissioner of Customs Aaron Kanor to chair the Fact-Finding and Investigative Committee.
The committee includes Elsie Appau-Klu, Technical Advisor to the Commissioner-General, who acts as Secretary; Freeman Sarbah, Head of Legal; Mrs Theresa Potakey, Head of Customs Port Operations; Mr Alphonse Quainoo, Head of Post Clearance Audit; Mr Charles Agbeko, Head of Preventive; Mr Divine Agbeko, Head of P&P; Mr Patrick Intarmah, Head of Investigations, EGG; and Gerald Agbetor, ICUMS System Administrator. AC DMCE Diana Ayorkor Agbenyega will assist the group.
The committee’s terms direct it to establish the truth of the petition, determine the status and location of the containers, and review data trails in the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), including UCL records, gazetting processes, and gate-out logs tied to the affected bills of lading.
It must also identify whether customs clearance procedures were breached and if any GRA officers or outsiders were involved. The committee will assess any revenue losses and propose recovery measures.
Additional tasks include investigating allegations of cartel activity and misuse of high-ranking officials’ names. The group should recommend administrative and systems changes to prevent similar incidents.
Mr Sarpong ordered the committee to begin work immediately and submit its report within 14 days of the memorandum. He directed all heads of divisions at Tema Collection and related stakeholders to cooperate fully.
The missing containers raise questions about port security and customs oversight at one of Ghana’s busiest trade hubs. The investigation intends to clarify how such a volume of goods—ranging from hazardous materials like cyanide to everyday commodities—could vanish amid the clearance process.
The involvement of police and the granting of bail to suspects indicate law enforcement is engaged, but the full scope and scale of the alleged misconduct remain to be determined.
The committee’s report will reveal the extent of any internal breaches and external collusion, and whether systems in place at the port and within GRA are adequate or flawed.
According to Joy Online.
