Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has strongly criticised Lamens, the company at the centre of the expired rice scandal, describing their actions as "criminal." Speaking on Joy FM's Super Morning Show, Mr Ablakwa accused the company of violating Ghana's Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851) by re-bagging unwholesome rice without proper labelling or adherence to food safety standards. "This is a company that was cited in the 2021 Auditor General's report, and now they are engaging in the criminal act of re-bagging expired rice," he said.
He further claimed that Lamens had already admitted to the offence and paid fines imposed by regulatory authorities.
The scandal, which has sparked public outrage, involved the alleged re-bagging of expired rice originally imported from India but falsely labelled as "Made in Ghana." The rice bags lacked essential information, including manufacturing and expiration dates, in violation of Ghanaian laws.
Read also: 22,000 bags of expired rice allegedly distributed to SHSs across Ghana - Ablakwa Mr Ablakwa also accused the National Buffer Stock Company of complicity, claiming the agency allowed its storage facilities to be used for the illegal operation. "The Buffer Stock Company has opened its storage facility for this criminal activity to go on," he stated, emphasising the need for accountability within the government agency.