Govt to prosecute corrupt revenue officials

Accra, Aug. 4, GNA - Government says it will not hesitate to prosecute officials of revenue collection agencies who use their office to engage in corrupt practices to the detriment of revenue generation for the State.

Mr Kwame Osei-Prempeh, Deputy Attorney-General, said on Friday that the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning would do everything within the legal framework to tackle malfeasance within the revenue agencies.

He gave the warning at a meeting with the top brass of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and executives of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) in Accra to discuss ways to enhance efficient clearance of goods at the entry points.

The meeting is a follow-up to a forum the traders held with the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu on Tuesday at which they accused revenue collection officials, especially CEPS, of extortion and corruption in the clearing of goods at the entry points.

Mr Osei-Prempeh said the criminal code was elaborate on how public officials, who used their positions to enrich themselves at the expense of the State, should be dealt with.

He asked the officials to be circumspect in their dealings so that they did not fall foul of the law and to risk being prosecuted. Mr Baah-Wiredu had said the behaviour of a few officials of revenue agencies, especially CEPS, should not be allowed to tarnish the image of the other hardworking officials.

He said there was the urgent need to protect the integrity of the revenue agencies, especially regarding the issues of extortion and corruption.

Mr Baah-Wiredu expressed the hope that the meeting would address the specific accusations of extortion and other corrupt practices to promote efficiency at the entry points.

Mr Emmanuel Nmashie Doku, Commissioner of CEPS, said the forum was appropriate to exchange views to improve the performance of officials at the entry points.

Mr Paa Kofi Ansong, President of GUTA, said the ultimate goal of the traders was to ensure that revenue collected went to the State and was used for the benefit of all Ghanaians.