OSP Investigates GH¢25.8M Palm Oil Transit Diversion
By: Maame Efua Kwaduah
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has launched an investigation into the alleged diversion of fifty (50) twenty-foot containers of palm oil valued at ¢25.8 million, in a case that has raised serious concerns over customs integrity and revenue protection.
The consignment, declared as goods in transit to Burkina Faso, was reportedly diverted into the local market without payment of the required duties and taxes. The Office estimates that the alleged actions led to a potential tax loss of ¢10.5 million to the state.
According to a statement from the OSP, the probe follows an intelligence-led operation conducted in November 2025. Preliminary findings indicate the possible involvement of some Customs officers, National Security operatives and clearing agents, suggesting a coordinated scheme that exploited weaknesses within Ghana’s transit regime. Investigators are continuing inquiries to uncover further details.
The Special Prosecutor explained that the investigation was prompted after intelligence revealed irregular movements of transit goods that should have exited Ghana but instead entered the domestic market. Officials familiar with the probe said the palm oil containers were part of a shipment officially documented as transiting through Ghana to Burkina Faso. Surveillance and verification exercises, however, revealed inconsistencies between declared routes and actual distribution patterns.
The diversion of high-value goods such as palm oil is particularly damaging because it undercuts legitimate businesses that comply with tax obligations while depriving the state of much-needed revenue. Transit regulations require close monitoring, including customs escorts, to prevent such abuses.
In a related development, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority recently intercepted trucks suspected of abusing the transit regime under the pretense of transporting goods to Niger. The trucks entered through the Akanu Border Post and were supposed to exit at Kulungugu, but intelligence and field surveillance revealed they were traveling without the mandated escorts.
In response, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has directed the Ghana Revenue Authority to conduct thorough investigations. The government has pledged that any individuals found culpable will face strict legal sanctions. President John Dramani Mahama has also appointed Brigadier General Glovor Ashong Annan as the new Commissioner of the Customs Division, signaling intensified efforts to improve accountability, discipline, and supervision of transit operations.
The OSP reiterated its commitment to protecting public resources and enforcing integrity in public administration. Legal analysts suggest that the outcome of this investigation could set a precedent for handling transit-related corruption, demonstrating that no individual or institution is above the law.
