Husband dumps wife after customs cruelty

A business woman Faustina Eworho, who was brutally assaulted by a customs officer, has been abandoned by her husband due to her inability to perform her marital duties.

The Customs officer, Evans Agu was said to have cruelly brutalised Madam Eworho at the Ghana-Aflao border fracturing her limbs in the process.

The gruesome act, according to Dometi Kofi Sokpor, counsel to Sole Commissioner investigating the payment of judgment debts and compensations, compelled Madam Eworho’s husband to abandon her because of her inability to perform marital duties.

Mr Sokpor gave the chilling revelation on Monday after leading the Acting Commissioner of Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Isaac Ofori Apronti, to give evidence on the matter.

Madam Eworho received GH¢42,000 as judgment debt as a result of the brutality.

Consequently, the acting Customs Commissioner was subpoenaed by the Sole Commissioner Justice Yaw Apau, to testify on the action taken against the said officer.

Testifying before the Sole Commissioner, Mr Apronti said he asked the Aflao office, where the incident took place, to update headquarters on the action taken so far.

“The report was brought and it indicated that no disciplinary action had been taken against the officer,” Mr Apronti informed the sole commissioner.

He said in accordance with conditions of service of Customs Division, the officer was asked to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him.

“He replied to the query and we referred the query to the investigations department for a preliminary investigation to be carried out.

“This was done and the report submitted. We are in the process of constituting a disciplinary committee to come out with finding and recommendations for management decision,” Mr Apronti told the Sole Commissioner.

Asked when the committee would be constituted, the Acting Commissioner said “in two weeks’ time we should be able to have a complete decision and sanctions carried out.”

As to whether preliminary action was taken against the officer, Mr Apronti replied, “I would not be able to say, it turned out that the administration in Aflao constituted a committee that asked the officer to pay the hospital bills of the woman.”

“In almost all the cases that I am aware of we followed the condition of service as we are doing now and sanctions are meted out to offending officers. I don’t know why this particular is different,” Mr Apronti added.

Justice Apau’s Commission covered by C.I 79 is enquiring into the payment of judgement debt and akin matters such as payment of frivolous and dubious payments of huge monies to undeserving individuals and companies, totalling about $640 million.

The Sole Commissioner was appointed by President John Dramani Mahama after public uproar over the payments in what has now come to be termed as Judgement Debts (JD).

Notable among them were payments made to CP (€94 million) and the never-ending case of GH¢51.2million parted to the self-styled NDC financier, Alfred Woyome.

Even though some of the cases are pending before court, the Sole Commissioner has been tasked to investigate all judgement debt cases.