Naval Base Cited in Customs Fraud

...following CEPS swoop on foreign fishing vessel

An intelligence report reaching the Chronicle desk in Takoradi has it that some foreign fishing vessels operating in territorial Ghanaian waters have been using the Sekondi Naval Base as a conduit point to smuggle un-customed fishing products into the country.

Though Commander. V. Danso, one of the commanders at the Sekondi Naval Base, categorically denied the allegation when contacted by this reporter at his office last Wednesday morning, Chronicle reports that two of the said foreign vessels berthed at the naval base last Tuesday between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. to discharge their cargo which was alleged to be red fish.

The two vessels whose names Chronicle intelligence picked as Oak Fish 20 and Oak Fish 23, reportedly discharged their catches in the absence of and, in fact, without the knowledge of Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) officials, who are supposed to scrutinise the products, and impose duties that must be paid to the state on them.

Painstaking investigations conducted by Chronicle at the naval base revealed further that after the two vessels had discharged their cargoes without the knowledge of CEPS and the subsequent payment of the necessary taxes to the state, another one, Oak 10, also came in the following day (Wednesday) to discharge its cargo once again without the knowledge of CEPS.

Luck, however, eluded the third vessel (Oak 10) as senior CEPS officials quickly invaded the naval base, last Wednesday morning following a tip-off to seize the remaining fish from being sold.

Unknown to him, Chronicle had already done its homework before approaching him, Commander Danso, who was annoyed with this reporter for daring to say that uncustomed fish was being discharged right under his nose attempted debunking the information.

Hear him: "This is a high security area, so how can uncustomed products pass through here without the knowledge of the authorities?"

According to Commander Danso apart from Ghanaian vessels other vessels are also allowed to berth at the base after CEPS have been called in to ascertain that they are not carrying contraband goods.

"Even when we are bringing our own vessels into the country for the first time, we invite CEPS to come and inspect the insides," he added.

Meanwhile, the CEPS office in the region has begun full-scale investigations into the matter.

An official source, who spoke to Chronicle said they have stopped further sale of the uncustomed fish products while investigations continue into the whereabouts of the fish that had earlier been discharged.

When asked whether the fishing vessel had officially been arrested, the source said under such circumstances, the vessel is not arrested. It is rather issued with a seizure notice and then given 30 days to respond.

According to the source after the vessel owners or operators respond to the seizure notice, the Commissioner of CEPS would then determine whether to impose a fine or arrest the owners for prosecution.

Meanwhile, another source who spoke to Chronicle at Sekondi has expressed concern about the manner in which fishing vessels are allowed to berth at such a high security area, like the naval base.

According to the source, the fact that the military authorities could not, apparently, detect that the fishing vessels discharged their catches without the payment of the necessary duties to the state meant that ammunitions could easily be channelled through the place without their notice.

As at the time of filing this report, the 'arrested' vessel was still at the naval base.