OSP Labianca report ‘mere investigatory report’, making it public illegal – Martin Amidu tackles Kissi Agyebeng

Former Special Prosecutor (SP) Martin Amidu has berated the current SP, Kissi Agyebeng, over this handling of the corruption allegation involving the Labianca Group of Companies and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority.

According to Amidu, the “Report of Investigation into Alleged Commission of Corruption and Corruption Related Offences involving Labianca Group of Companies and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority”, released by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) was wrong since it was only a preliminary investigation report.

In a statement he issued, the former SP indicated that the report issued by the OSP only succeeded in unjustifiably disgracing the accused persons in the report, including a Council of State member, Eunice Jacqueline Buah Asomah-Hinneh.

“The OSP Labianca report does not disclose the commission of any corruption and corruption-related offences upon which the suspects or accused were cautioned or charged, if they were indeed cautioned or charged.

“The foregoing provisions of Act 959 and L. I. 2374 do not provide the OSP the authority or legal mandate to publish the result of the investigation panel’s work for the trial.

“Nonetheless a mere investigatory report which is an internal pre-trial documentary process under Section 3 of Act 959 and Regulations 5, 6, and 7 of L. I. 2374 dealing with preliminary inquiry, investigation, full investigation, and investigation panels has been unconstitutionally and unlawfully turned into a public report containing damning adverse findings of guilt in the court of public opinion against Ms. Eunice Jacqueline Buah Asomah-Hinneh, an elected Member of the Council of State and Board Member of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, the Deputy Commissioner for Customs, Mr. Joseph Adu Kyei, and the Commissioner for Customs, Colonel Kwadwo Damoah (Rtd.) who were each only invited as a witness to the OSP’s Labianca investigation,” parts of the statement Amidu issued read.

The OSP on August 3, 2022, released a report on its investigations into alleged corruption and corruption-related offences involving Labianca Group of Companies and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority.

The report by the OSP, among other things, implicated officials of Labianca and the Customs Division of GRA for their various roles, which saw the company that deals in the importation of frozen foods benefiting from a reduction in the company’s tax liabilities.

Eunice Jacqueline Buah Asomah-Hinneh, the owner of Labianca Company Limited and a Council of State member, was implicated in the report for influence peddling.

She was accused of using her position to get a favourable decision from the GRA, leading to a reduction in her company’s tax liabilities.

The investigative report indicated that the frozen foods company owner used her position to evade taxes.

The OSP also disclosed that an amount of ¢1.074 million was recovered from Labianca Company Limited.

Read the full statement Amidu issued below:



Watch the latest episode of The Lowdown below:

Watch the latest episode of #SayItLoud below:



IB/BOG