Audio By Carbonatix
A former Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry has cast doubt over the ability of the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) to independently investigate the revelations made by the JoyNews expose dubbed "Frozen tax".
According to Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, he doesn't believe EOCO is independent enough to be fair in its probe.
"I really don't have confidence in this leadership of EOCO and EOCO for doing an independent work on this," he said.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM's Top Story, on Friday, he stated that the best institution to take up the investigations should be the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
This, he explained is because the OSP is already investigating one of the companies cited in the expose -Labianca.
His assertion is in the wake of a JoyNews documentary that uncovered how some frozen food companies falsified the contents of their containers which led to the underpayment of taxes up to the tune of GHC4.6 million.
In one case, a container load of full chicken was declared as Sardinella fish.
As a result, the Economic and Organized Crime Organisation was directed to take over the investigation into the alleged evasion of tax by these companies at the Tema Shipping yard.
JoyNews sources say the companies will be required to submit responses on the allegations and also answer for infractions which will be detected by EOCO investigators on documentation and other material it has obtained.
Ultimately, EOCO will seek to recover every pesewa lost to the state from the individuals and companies involved in the falsification of the import items.
But the Tamale Central MP, says EOCO cannot do a thorough job.
Latest Stories
-
Promotion pay row: Gov’t gives teachers September to complete salary adjustments
5 minutes -
Financial irregularities plummet by 62.9% as state tightens fiscal controls
5 minutes -
DVLA to expand mobile services to underserved communities in Ghana’s Eastern Corridor of the Northern Region
21 minutes -
GUTA urges GPHA to act swiftly to end Tema Port congestion to avert rising business costs
21 minutes -
Port congestion could undermine 24-hour economy policy – GUTA
22 minutes -
NSA opens three-day window to resolve national service biodata mismatches
31 minutes -
Abu Jinapor highlights increased gold exports after Domestic Gold Purchase Programme
36 minutes -
NPP UK branch calls for independent audit into gold purchasing operations and parliamentary probe
1 hour -
Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings pledges decisive action on climate change, galamsey and environmental degradation
1 hour -
Bawumia was brainchild behind Domestic Gold Purchase Programme – Samuel Jinapor
1 hour -
Fuel prices set to go up from September 1, Petrol to sell at GHC 16.69 and Diesel, GHC 17.90 – COMAC
1 hour -
Our World Our People withdrawn due to curriculum duplication, not politics – Adutwum’s spokesperson
1 hour -
GANRAP is essentially a rebranding of Domestic Gold Purchase Programme – Abu Jinapor
1 hour -
I am tired of being in opposition, my goal is to win in 2028 – Boakye Agyarko
2 hours -
Ghana’s road maintenance funding gap deepens as only 37% of needs met – World Bank
2 hours