Lebanese Company Snubs National Security Orders

INTENSIVE INVESTIGATIONS conducted by this paper into activities of a Lebanesse Company, Lewadis, revealed a chilling account of how the company has managed to continue with its operations at a site designated as a security zone close to the Ghana Cote d' Ivoire boarder in Elubo in the Western region.

The company, which was registered under the Free Zones and had its ten-year tax holiday period expired last year, has incorporating another huge duty free shop, DIPLO FZ, which is located within the same security zone to deal in the same items that their first company traded in raising eyebrows about a possible ploy to fold-up the former company as a way of avoiding the payment of tax to the state.

Lewadis has the same directors as DIPLO FZ and the former was due to start the payment of corporate tax this year. The establishment of the new company is something that is attracting the anger of some officials at the Ghana Free Zones Board to the extent that the authorities of the Board have refused to grant a new license to the company.

This information came in the wake of activities of the Lebanese Company ignoring directives of National Security to suspend the project until certain conditions were fulfilled.

Following the agitations and complaints of officials of Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), Customs Exercise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Immigration and Security Officials at Elubo about the location of the warehouse.

Sources within the Ghana Free Zones Board raised suspicions of a possible underhand dealings to compromise state security officials to the advantage of the Lebanese Company hence the continued operation of the company at the zone.

Independent checks conducted by this paper at Elubo Boarder revealed that agitations among some security officials had reached its peak among the residents of the area following what they asserted as total disregard of the orders of National Security by the Lebanese Company.

This paper can reveal that top officials of CEPS, BNI, Immigration and other security officers at the boarder are also not happy at the rate at which, huge warehouse belonging to DIPLO FZ within a security zone is being established.

Residents whose livelihood mainly depend on retail businesses, have threatened not to vote for the ruling NPP in the 2008 general elections with the assertions that the government had granted permit to foreign companies to put a warehouse at a security zone to ostensibly 'kill' their small retail businesses.

One official lamented that, "If CEPS and Immigration did not have land to put up their offices as claimed by estate department, then how come the Lebanese company was still putting up their structures in such a security zone."

The officials at CEPS, Immigration, BNI and others, who were tight lipped on the matter.

This paper gathered that the anger from the local security officials and that of the residents were as a result of an earlier decision taken by a three-member committee which was set up by the National Security Minister, Mr. Francis Poku to go into the case but was said to have been reversed.

The Foreign Company DIPLO FZ limited owns Forewin and Lewadis Ghana Limited.

The Chronicle can report that currently the Ghana Free Zones Board is refusing to grant license to DIPLO and the decision is based on the position of the National Security that the project should be abandoned until further notice.

According to some officials, they have vehemently opposed the building of the structure and raised various objections but could not understand the source of power and authority of the Labanese Company in establishing a duty free shop in a well-known security area.

The Managing Director of the DIPLO FZ, Mr. Ghassan Yared, admitted not complying with the directives of the National Security but was quick to say that though his building was almost complete, efforts were being put in place to satisfy the conditions.

Speaking to this paper on telephone a couple of weeks ago, Mr. Yared said, "From the beginning we had problems with the authorities but I can tell you that the project is ongoing. The work is in progress and when we finish, we shall let the public know," he said. But when he was contacted again later on phone, he said he was out of Ghana and that his lawyers were around to discuss matters relating to his company.

The CEPS boss, Mr. Emmanuel Doku, declined to comment on the matter and directed this reporter to the Estate Manager, who also said he could not speak but directed this paper to the Public Affairs Manageress, Mrs. Anni Anipa, who could not be reached for her comments.

The Assistant Commissioner of CEPS at the Boarder, Mr. Baafour Dzumor, also declined to give details of the matter. According to him, the project had been in progress before he assumed office in six months ago.

He told this paper that though there were some complaints, the matter was jointly being discussed by the National Security and BNI, adding that the Estate Manager at CEPS would be in position to give further accounts.

He said the National Security had set up a committee with one Col. Yahaya as Chairman to investigate the matter and the committee had been at the site on three occasions.

The Former Assistant Commissioner, Mr. Akwerh, also refused to speak on the matter when contacted.

Ms Elizabeth Adjei, the Commissioner for Immigration expressed knowledge about the hullabaloo of the project but stated that her outfit did nothing wrong, when this paper contacted her.

Mr. Francis Poku, the Minister of National Security, told this paper that his outfit had set up a three-member committee chaired by Col. Yahaya to delve into the troubles and agitations to ensure that the security at the area was not breached.

He said his outfit would be monitoring all the activities of the company to ensure that nobody takes the security of the state for a ride.

He promised to take a trip to the area to ascertain the truth or otherwise of the report.

One Mr. Hyde, Officer in charge of Immigration at the Elubo told this paper that his outfit was opposed to the building of the warehouse but could not understand the reasons behind the rapidity with which the building was being put up.

Our investigations revealed that in 1999, a Ghanaian company acquired a plot adjacent the Lebanese's interest for commercial purposes.

It began the construction of a retail outlet (Duty Free shop) but was compelled to stop by the National Security. The building was therefore not completed and has since been abandoned.

It is also on record that the Lebanese-owned company was also asked to stop construction of the building by the National Security, citing security concerns.

At a top-level meeting, it was determined that the CEPS had no right to have given the land to the Lebanese-owned company and that whatever transaction had been entered into by any state institution with respect to any parcel of land within the security zone be reversed.