Lifestyle Audit: 4 busted by Special Prosecutor for failing to declare source of income

Four people, made up of three public servants and one civil servant have been arrested and charged by the Special Prosecutor on corruption related offences.

It followed a Lifestyle Audit by the Special Prosecutor on them and a request for them to declare the source of their various incomes and their refusal to do so.

The Special Prosecutor has charged them for failing to comply and declare sources of income in contravention of regulation 20 of L.I. 2374.

The four are Issah Seidu, James Keck Osei, John Abban and Peter Archibald Hyde.

According to the Special Prosecutor, they will be arraigned at the High Court (Criminal Division) in Accra on Monday, February 13, 2023.

Issah Siedu works with the National Insurance Commission (NIC) while James Keck Osei works with the Office of the Vice President as an administrator. 

John Abban and Peter Archibald Hyde are senior Officers with Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

Facts

The facts to be adduced against them in court by the Special Prosecutor are that, they are all suspects under investigation in respect of corruption and corruption-related offences regarding the importation from Thailand and auction processes of two hundred and fifty (250) metric tons of Lele rice.

In December 2022, the Special Prosecutor, in the performance of his functions, served on them, respectively, notices to declare their property and income under regulation 20(1) per Forms 11A and 11B of the First Schedule of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (Operations) Regulations, 2018 (L.I. 2374).

They were duly notified, according to the Office of the Prosecutor (OSP) as per the statutory forms and by cover letters under the seal of the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the seal and mark of the Special Prosecutor, that they were required by law to make the specified declarations and return same to the Office of the Special Prosecutor as per Form 12 of the First Schedule of L.I. 2374, within thirty (30) days of the service on them of the notices as per Forms 11A and 11B of the First Schedule of L.I. 2374.

As of the close of business on February 9, 2023, they had failed, without lawful excuse, to return the duly completed statutory forms to the Office of the Special Prosecutor, more than thirty (30) days after the service of the forms on them.

They have therefore been duly charged with the respective offences on the charge sheet.