Editorial: Clearing Agents At Tema Harbour ”Not all are guilty

Our recent publications on activities at the ports have brought to the fore the role of clearing agents as well as Destination Inspection Companies in socio-economic activities in the country.

The debate is further extended to the activities of Mr. Carl Wilson, former Chairman of the Confiscated Vehicles Allocation Committee.

Some of the cars we reported on have been confirmed arbitrarily seized by Mr. Carl Wilson.

Our publications on this matter may have created the erroneous impression that the clearing agents who were involved condoned criminality.

There was no intent whatsoever to join them in as participants in thievery. By extension, no intent whatsoever crossed our minds to portray them as thieves though some might be engaging in one wrong or the other.

We are only taking issue with Carl Wilson for his over-zealous and unguarded penchant for seizing and declaring as stolen vehicles authenticated to have passed the proper procedures of purchase and export. The fact is that Carl Wilson has no business seizing cars even if they are stolen. That is the business of Interpol.

Currently, there is no evidence available to us to suggest that clearing agents condoned Carl's nefarious activities. In this regard, we want to place on record that clearing agents like Stewise Shipping Ltd, who have built a good reputation for themselves at the port are not part of Carl Wilson's looting brigade.

However evidence available indicates that some clearing agents colluded with importers to evade taxes to the tune of 22.4 trillion cedis from 2003 to 2009 as Operations Records of one DIC have revealed.

With regard to clearing of cars, the job of clearing agents is simple. They are handed genuine official documents to process the clearing of cars.

They do not have that extra capacity to determine whether an imported car was stolen or not.

Not all clearing agents can be guilty in car stealing at the ports. We further appeal to government to put in place a mechanism for the clearing agents to be able to detect or reconcile whether a particular car to be cleared has been stolen or not.