Seized mercury missing from Customs' strong rooms

The Bureau for Internal Affairs (BIA), has called on the government to investigate how 15 consignments of mercury seized from some Chinese nationals went missing at the Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

The product smuggled into the country was impounded by personnel of the Customs Division in Takoradi in 2010 with each consignment weighing 12 kilogrammes.

Mr Godfred Nkrumah, Coordinating Director of the Bureau, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra on Thursday that after an inventory was undertaken, the mercury was confiscated and brought to the Headquarters of the Division in Accra for safe keeping.

He expressed wonder how the mercury could get lost in such a secured place.

The BIA is therefore calling for a presidential inquiry into the issue and the prosecution of those found culpable.

Mr Nkrumah said due to artificial lapses in the revenue generating agencies the State is losing massive income and called on the GRA to streamline the situation.

BIA is an information gathering organisation aimed at bridging the communication gap between the public and the authorities on issues negatively affecting the nation.

In February containers of seized scrap metals went missing at Customs amid allegations they were sold by officials.