The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has intensified its investigation into alleged corruption and abuse of office involv
The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has intensified its investigation into alleged corruption and abuse of office involving a senior Customs officer at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), demanding comprehensive import and duty records for three companies believed to be central to the case.
In a formal letter dated 20 January 2025, CHRAJ reminded the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Commissioner of the Customs Division of an earlier request—first issued on 17 December 2024—seeking detailed import data to support ongoing investigations into Augustine Attah Adubofour, a Senior Revenue Officer accused of corruption, conflict of interest, and abuse of office.
Investigations Into A Senior Customs Officer
The inquiry stems from a series of allegations lodged against Adubofour, whose unit oversees import declarations and duty assessments.
CHRAJ, acting within its constitutional mandate to investigate administrative abuses and corruption within public institutions, opened a case file on the three companies after allegedly receiving complaints from an industry player pointing to alleged irregularities in import duty assessments linked to specific private companies.
According to CHRAJ, the officer in question may have engaged in acts that include under-declaration of goods, unlawful waivers, or facilitation of suspicious import transactions—actions that could have caused significant revenue loss to the state.
To verify these claims, CHRAJ is demanding verified import records from GRA covering a three-year period, from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2022.
The Three Companies Under Scrutiny
CHRAJ’s letter requests detailed importation and duty information on the following companies:
1. Perfect God Enterprise
2. Adu-Krom Construction Limited
3. TKO Frozen Foods Limited
The Commission insists that timely access to these records is essential to establish whether these entities may have benefited from irregular duty assessments facilitated by the respondent officer.
When The Daily Gist contacted GRA officials they were not forthcoming with information just as Augustine Attah Adubofour who was recently transferred to Koforidua after spending over 10years at the Tema Port.
What CHRAJ Requested From GRA
The Commission outlined three specific categories of information required:
1. A list of goods imported by each company, including quantities, between January 2020 and December 2022.
2. The legally mandated duty amounts for each shipment within the same period.
3. The actual duty paid by each of the three companies on all imports made during the period under review.
These datasets are intended to help investigators compare statutory duty obligations with the amounts actually paid—an exercise that may reveal discrepancies, potential revenue shortfalls, and irregular customs treatment.
Despite initially setting a return date of 8 January 2025, CHRAJ states that the GRA has not yet furnished the required documents, prompting this renewed demand.
Data Already in Possession: A Glimpse Into Import Patterns
Documents attached to CHRAJ’s follow-up letter show partial import records already retrieved from GRA systems. These include specific Bills of Entry (BOEs), tax amounts paid, exemptions, and countries of origin for several shipments linked to the companies under probe.
1. Perfect God Enterprise
Records indicate shipments primarily from Italy, Belgium, the UK, the United States, Canada, and Spain. Goods imported range widely, with customs values running into tens of thousands of Ghana cedis per consignment.
Samples of data show tax amounts paid such as: GHS 80,972.12 (Italy), GHS 92,791.28 (UK), GHS 304,021.22 (USA) and GHS 192,584.95 (USA).
These entries reflect significant import volumes—yet CHRAJ is seeking the full dataset to determine whether accurate duties were applied.
2. Adu-Krom Construction Limited
Import data shows involvement in large-scale frozen meat and fish imports, sourced from exporters including ALPI Trading SRL, LAMEX Foods Inc, and NORIDANE.
Products include frozen beef tripe, beef feet, chicken backs, gizzards, and horse mackerel.
Shipments include: 2410 cartons of frozen beef tripe, 2500 cartons of frozen chicken gizzards and 2700 cartons of horse mackerel.
The volumes suggest commercial import operations far beyond the company’s registered business activity—prompting CHRAJ to investigate the legitimacy of these transactions.
3. TKO Frozen Foods Limited
Records show heavy imports from LAMEX Foods Inc. (USA).
Products include: Chicken gizzards, Hen leg quarters and frozen poultry products.
Several large consignments—some exceeding 2,500 cartons per shipment—have been processed under this company over the same period.
Why CHRAJ’s Request Matters
The Commission suspects that some shipments may have been cleared with: Reduced duty assessments, unlawful duty exemptions, improper classification of goods and suspended taxes without legal justification.
If proven, these actions could point to institutional failures within the Customs Division and raise concerns about systemic revenue leakages.
The GRA plays a crucial role in domestic revenue mobilization, especially as Ghana continues to struggle with fiscal pressures and high public debt. Every instance of improperly assessed duty undermines national revenue efforts and compromises public trust.
Next Steps
CHRAJ has reiterated its demand for the full import and duty records, signaling its resolve to proceed with the investigation.
The Commission is expected to summon relevant GRA officials and representatives of the named companies once the data is submitted.
Failure by GRA to comply could trigger statutory enforcement measures under CHRAJ’s investigative mandate.
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