The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has been petitioned to investigate the alleged unauthorised removal, transfer and disappearance of 28 containers at various stages of clearance at the Tema Port.
The petition, dated September 29 and signed by some importers, was addressed to the Commissioner-General of the GRA.
The petitioners provided several Bills of Lading (BL) numbers associated with the affected containers and called for an urgent investigation into how the consignments were allegedly moved without the knowledge or authorisation of their owners.
According to the importers, the 28 containers were discovered to be empty, missing, transferred or removed from the port without their consent.
“A total of twenty-eight (28) containers at various stages of clearance were found to be empty, missing, transferred and/or moved out of the port without the knowledge of the owners,” the petition stated.
The importers said the matter had also been reported to the Tema Regional Police Command, with some arrests allegedly made in connection with the incident.
They are calling on the GRA to establish the circumstances surrounding the movement of the containers and determine how the consignments were allegedly removed or transferred without the owners’ knowledge.
The petition comes amid concerns over the alleged illegal removal and diversion of containers from the Tema Port.
According to the importers, the issue came to light after some affected owners reportedly discovered their goods being offloaded from one of the containers into a warehouse near the GHACEM area in Tema.
The petitioners said they were prepared to provide information and assist the GRA and other relevant authorities in their investigations.
They are seeking a comprehensive investigation into the matter and clarification on the processes through which the affected containers were allegedly removed or transferred.
By:Rachael Djabakie