Four individuals, including a former presidential staffer and two senior Customs officials, have been formally charged with corruption by the Office of the Special Prosecutor(OSP) for allegedly conspiring to illegally acquire ten containers of imported rice at the Tema Port.

The accused—Issah Seidu, James Keck Osei, John Abban, and Peter Archibold Hyde—are alleged to have orchestrated the fraudulent claim of rice shipments imported from Thailand in 2022.

Seidu, an officer with the National Insurance Commission, is said to have used forged documents, including a fake letter purportedly from the Office of the Vice President, to seize the goods.

Prosecutors say Seidu acted in concert with Osei, a former Director at the Vice President’s Secretariat, and Abban and Hyde, both senior Customs officials, to bypass customs procedures and secure the release of the rice.

Although the consignment was lawfully imported and all duties paid, the group allegedly sought to have the containers auctioned to Seidu under false pretences.

Their scheme was uncovered following internal investigations and a subsequent ruling by the High Court, which nullified the fraudulent claims and exposed the operation.

All four accused persons are expected to appear in court on Friday, 27 June 2025, to face corruption-related charges.