Associate Professor of Law at the University of Ghana, Professor Abdallah Ali-Nakyea, has revealed a startling case of customs fraud involving the importation of 14 high-end Range Rover vehicles through the Takoradi Port, which were falsely declared as 2003 Peugeot models to evade appropriate duties.

Speaking during a public lecture organised by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in Accra on Thursday, June 26, under the theme “Hidden Riches, Hollow Laws,” Prof Ali-Nakyea explained how the deliberate misclassification allowed the importer to pay far less than the correct valuation.

“I found a publication in the papers, where somebody imported 14 2016 Range Rover vehicles through the Takoradi Port. None of the 14 Range Rovers was described as a Range Rover. They were described as Peugeots – and not even 2014 models, but 2003. That’s the basis on which the duties were paid,” he revealed.

Prof Ali-Nakyea said the incident highlights the depth of illicit financial flows and the weak enforcement capacity across critical state institutions. He described the act as not only fraudulent but also a serious drain on the nation’s revenue.

Recounting a personal follow-up on the matter, he said: “After I gave a lecture on this subject some time ago, I went to Burma Camp looking for the Defence Intelligence Unit. I said I needed to report something bordering on national security. The officer pulled out a drawer and brought out my presentation, saying, ‘We have it here – our people at the port are working on it.’”

He further recounted how the issue resonated with military officers who had encountered similar situations in the field.

“A general walked in and said, ‘This is the young man who gave the lecture.’ He told me, ‘You have a point. I met someone at Tema who offered to get me a Range Rover for $60,000. He said it was worth more, but not to worry – they could arrange it. Your lecture was right.”

Prof Ali-Nakyea noted that the exposure led to the identification of the importer and a reassessment of the vehicles to recover lost revenue.

He used the example to urge authorities to take more decisive action against corruption, stressing that real impact comes only through consistent follow-through.

“If we can walk the talk, chase matters to the end, and get results, then we can do it,” he asserted.

The revelation adds to growing calls for tighter oversight of Ghana’s ports and improved transparency in customs operations to curb revenue losses and illicit financial activities.