The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has launched an investigation into a suspected corruption scheme involving the illegal diversion of 50 twenty-foot containers of palm oil, valued at GH¢25.8 million, into Ghana’s domestic market.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, the OSP said the consignment had originally been declared as transit cargo destined for Burkina Faso but was unlawfully rerouted within Ghana without the payment of required duties and taxes. Authorities estimate the resulting tax loss at about GH¢10.5 million.
The development follows an earlier interception on February 18, 2026, by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) through its Customs Division. Officials stopped 18 articulated trucks carrying assorted goods — including cooking oil, spaghetti and tomato paste — which had been declared for transit to Niger at the Akanu and Aflao border posts.
Investigations into that operation revealed suspected tax evasion amounting to GH¢85.3 million. Sources indicated the cargo was being transported without the mandatory Customs Human Escorts required under Ghana’s transit regulations.
The scale of the alleged diversion prompted the Minister for Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, to impose an immediate ban on the land transit of cooking oil. Under the directive, all such consignments must now enter and exit the country exclusively through Ghana’s seaports.
According to the OSP, preliminary findings point to the involvement of some customs officers, National Security operatives and clearing agents in what it described as a coordinated corrupt scheme spanning multiple state institutions.
The investigation was triggered by an intelligence-led operation conducted in November 2025, suggesting authorities had been monitoring the suspected activities for several months before making the probe public.
Established under the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), the OSP is mandated to independently investigate and prosecute corruption-related offences, particularly those involving public officials.
The Special Prosecutor’s office did not name any individuals in its statement but assured the public that investigations are ongoing.
“As the process continues, the Office remains committed to protecting the public purse and upholding integrity,” the statement said.
