Four public servants and one civil servant have been arrested and charged by Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) with failing to comply and declare sources of income in contravention of Regulation 20 of LI2374.
The four, Issah Seidu, James Keck Osei, John Abban and Peter Archibold Hyde would appear before the High Court ( Criminal Division) in Accra on Monday.
According to an OSP source, Mr Siedu works with National Insurance Commission, James works with Office of the Vice President as an administrator while John and Peter are senior officers with Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
The accused are all suspects under investigation in respect of corruption and corruption-related offences regarding the importation from Thailand and auction processes involving 250 metric tons of Lele rice.
The evidence will establish that in December 2022, the Special Prosecutor, in the performance of his functions, served on the accused 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).
The accused were duly notified, 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 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 at the close of business on Thursday, the accused had failed, without lawful excuse, to return the duly completed statutory forms to the Office of the Special Prosecutor, more than 30 days after the service of the forms on them.
“The accused persons have been duly charged with the respective offences on the charge sheet,” the source said.
BY TIMES REPORTER
