Ports Authority security man interdicted

Tema (Greater Accra), 13 Jan. '99 - Musa Yakubu, a security officer of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, has been interdicted for the alleged extortion of 200,000 cedis from a clearing agent at the Tema port. According to a source close to the Authority, Yakubu threatened the clearing agent that the goods he was clearing for an importer would be intercepted and delayed for re-checking at the exit gate of the harbour if he did not pay the bribe. The clearing agent whose name is being withheld for security reasons gave Yakubu 200,000 cedis and reported the matter to the authority leading to his interdiction pending investigations. The source said Yakubu had once been interdicted for a similar offence and was re-called about two years ago. It said the practice of GPHA Security re-checking goods already passed by the Customs Excise and Preventive Service has been a major source of concern to importers. It called on victims of such extortion by GPHA security personnel to come forward to help in investigations to establish the truth. Meanwhile, the suspected thieves who broke into the accounts office of the Tema Port head office last Thursday night, have been arrested by Port Security and police at site 20, Tema. A computer and monitor, four adding machines and a calculator were retrieved in the operation. A tea kettle and a radio cassette player are still missing. No cash or documents were stolen. The thieves are said to have entered the office through a window after cutting a wire mesh burglar proof. Port security personnel said they were led to the ''den of the thieves'' by a former casual labourer who saw one of the suspects carrying some of the items on the night of the theft.

Tema (Greater Accra), 13 Jan. '99 - Musa Yakubu, a security officer of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, has been interdicted for the alleged extortion of 200,000 cedis from a clearing agent at the Tema port. According to a source close to the Authority, Yakubu threatened the clearing agent that the goods he was clearing for an importer would be intercepted and delayed for re-checking at the exit gate of the harbour if he did not pay the bribe. The clearing agent whose name is being withheld for security reasons gave Yakubu 200,000 cedis and reported the matter to the authority leading to his interdiction pending investigations. The source said Yakubu had once been interdicted for a similar offence and was re-called about two years ago. It said the practice of GPHA Security re-checking goods already passed by the Customs Excise and Preventive Service has been a major source of concern to importers. It called on victims of such extortion by GPHA security personnel to come forward to help in investigations to establish the truth. Meanwhile, the suspected thieves who broke into the accounts office of the Tema Port head office last Thursday night, have been arrested by Port Security and police at site 20, Tema. A computer and monitor, four adding machines and a calculator were retrieved in the operation. A tea kettle and a radio cassette player are still missing. No cash or documents were stolen. The thieves are said to have entered the office through a window after cutting a wire mesh burglar proof. Port security personnel said they were led to the ''den of the thieves'' by a former casual labourer who saw one of the suspects carrying some of the items on the night of the theft.