NDC General Secretary Returns Controversial Benz

The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alhaji Hudu Yahaya, has denied media reports that, he was coerced into returning the much-publicized Mercedes Benz car sold to him by the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS).

Sections of the press have reported that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Police Service in collaboration with their local INTERPOL unit has intercepted at car at Tamale in the Northern Region. The vehicle with a street value of between 280 to 300 million cedis was sold to Huudu Yahaya for 28 million Cedis during the tenure of office of the former CEPS Boss, Nii Adjei Okai.

The said Mercedes Benz and another vehicle belonging to Mr. Fred Oware, a car dealer, was seized by the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) when it arrived in the country because it was unmanifested. However, after investigations, it was decided that the vehicles should be restored to its owner but one had already been sold to Huudu Yahaya.

Realizing that it had committed an error of judgement in selling the car, CEPS requested Huudu Yahaya to return the car for a replacement but this generated a misunderstanding. CEPS therefore threatened to resort to police action to retrieve the vehicle leading to reports that the Mercedes was forcibly intercepted.

However, in an interview with JOYFM, Alhaji Yahaya noted that the car was indeed returned to the CEPS Commissioner voluntarily. He explained that with the assistance of his lawyer he arranged for the car to be sent from Tamale to Accra where his lawyer personally handed it over to the commissioner of CEPS. The NDC General Secretary said his lawyer also gave the CEPS Commissioner a letter to the effect that the vehicle had been transferred into his custody.

Alhaji Yahaya said he is awaiting a replacement as agreed between him and CEPS. Asked if he gave CEPS a deadline for the replacement, he replied in the negative saying he believes CEPS will do as they have said and he is therefore relying on their goodwill for the replacement.

Inusah Fuseini, lawyer of Alhaji Hudu Yahaya, has confirmed what his client said and challenged the involvement of the INTERPOL in the retrieval of the vehicle. According to him, INTERPOL had no jurisdiction in an internal affair between a state institution and an individual of the state because its mandate deals with cross-border crime.

Inusah Fuseini said when negotiations between CEPS and his client for the return of the vehicle failed to yield results, the alternative was for CEPS to have sought assistance from the courts in the retrieval of the vehicle.

Mr. Fuseini said his client decided to forfeit his right to the controversial Mercedes Benz because issues involving it were misreported in the press, citing his client as a criminal.