CEPS, DVLA accused of fictitious documents

Accra, Aug. 13, GNA - Mr Okyere Adu, a witness at the Justice Glenn Baidoo Committee, on Monday accused the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) of issuing fake vehicle documents.

The Justice Baidoo Committee, sitting in Accra since last week, has been given a one-month duration to investigate alleged malpractices at CEPS and offer recommendations on improving the service.

Mr. Okyere Adu told the Committee that though he had paid a duty of 25 million cedis and had been issued with documents from the CEPS on a 208 Benz Bus, a Task Force of the Revenue Agencies Governing Board (RAGB) arrested the vehicle last February and the documents were declared fictitious.

According to Mr. Okyere Adu, he solicited the help of a cousin, Mr Yeboah Adu and one Stephen, both at Akosombo in the Eastern Region, to buy the vehicle at Aflao, a free zone town.

He said, he paid a total of 75 million cedis, including customs duty of 25 million to the two men, who told him they had contracted a clearing agent called Eric at Aflao to prepare the documents for the customs duty.

However, a task force of the GAGB arrested his vehicle at Mile Seven in Accra last February on alleged non-payment of customs duty. Mr Okyere Adu said Mr Martin Oteng Ababio, who in a testimony later identified himself as Co-ordinator of the Revenue Protection Unit of the RAGB, told him upon enquiry at the RAGB office that the customs duty documents were fake.

Mr Jones Torsu, a Customs Officer from the CEPS, alleged to have signed the customs duty papers denied ever signing such paper and said the handwriting on the document was not his.

When Mr Ababio gave evidence, he said a clique with agents called "Goro Boys", was in operation at the Customs and the DVLA offices.