The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has formally charged four public officials in connection with a failed scheme to steal 10 containers of imported rice at the Tema Port.
According to a statement posted by the OSP on X (formerly Twitter), the suspects-Issah Seidu, James Keck Osei, John Abban, and Peter Archibald Hyde-allegedly conspired to use forged documents, including one falsely attributed to the Office of the Vice President, to fraudulently claim rice imported from Thailand in 2022.
Issah Seidu, believed to be the mastermind of the operation, allegedly went as far as attempting to auction the seized rice containers to himself.
Investigations by the OSP revealed that Seidu, along with James Keck Osei-a former director at the Vice President's Secretariat-and Customs officials John Abban and Peter Hyde, circumvented the standard port clearance process, even though all import duties had been duly paid.
