GRA Officer in hot water for alleged GH₵2,000 airport extortion

A Revenue Officer with the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) stationed at the Kotoka International Airport, Torgbe Agbeti Dordoe, has appeared before an Adentan Circuit Court for allegedly extorting GH₵2,000 from a businessman without issuing an official receipt.

Dordoe, who was before the court presided over by Angela Attachie last Monday, pleaded not guilty to the charge of extortion. 

He was granted bail in the sum of GH₵10,000 with one surety to be justified. The case has been adjourned to January 21, 2026.

Brief facts

Presenting the facts, the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Maxwell Lanyo, told the court that the complainant, Horgli Wise Roland, is a businessman residing at Villagio Residence, Airport West, Accra.

According to him, the complainant returned to Ghana from Dubai on February 15, 2025, with two sets of BOSE musical instruments.

While going through arrival formalities, the accused officer, Dordoe, who was on duty, calculated the official customs duty at GH₵21,000, which the complainant paid and received an official receipt for.

However, the complainant reminded the accused that he had earlier brought the same set of instruments into the country on November 28, 2024, during which Dordoe allegedly collected GH₵2,000 in cash from him as customs duty but failed to issue a receipt.

When the complainant reminded Dordoe of the previous transaction and requested that he check the system to print the missing receipt, the officer allegedly failed to do so.

Feeling dissatisfied, the complainant lodged a report at the Airport Police Station, leading to two detectives being assigned to invite Dordoe for questioning. Upon meeting him at his post, Dordoe reportedly said he was on duty and promised to report to the station on February 17, 2025.

Chief Inspector Lanyo said the police later sent a letter to the officer in charge of the GRA Customs Division at the airport requesting confirmation of the alleged payment, but no response was received.

A follow-up letter sent to the Customs Headquarters on April 4, 2025, also went unanswered.

Subsequently, on April 28, 2025, Dordoe was served with a criminal summons to appear before the court on May 12, 2025. He appeared as directed and was later arrested and taken to the Airport Police Station.

After investigations, he was charged with the offence of extortion and arraigned before the court.