The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has initiated investigations into an alleged corruption scheme involving the unlawful diversion of 50 twenty-foot containers of palm oil, worth GHS25.8 million, onto the local market.
In a statement released on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, the OSP indicated that the shipment, initially declared as transit cargo bound for Burkina Faso, was illegally diverted into Ghana’s local market without the required duties and taxes being paid, leading to an estimated revenue loss of GHS10.5 million.
On February 18, 2026, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), via its Customs Division, intercepted 18 articulated trucks transporting various goods such as cooking oil, spaghetti, and tomato paste that were declared as transit cargo to Niger at the Akanu and Aflao border posts. The operation revealed tax evasion totaling GH¢85.3 million, with sources indicating that the shipment was being transported without the required Customs Human Escorts mandated under Ghana’s transit regulations.
The magnitude of the diversion prompted a rapid reaction from Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, who swiftly imposed a ban on the land transit of cooking oil, mandating that all such shipments must henceforth be imported and exported solely through Ghana’s seaports.
“The Office has identified the involvement of some Customs officers, National Security operatives, and clearing agents in a corrupt scheme,” the OSP stated, signalling that the scandal cuts across multiple state institutions.
The investigation was triggered by an intelligence-led operation conducted in November 2025, suggesting that authorities had been monitoring the scheme for some months before going public with the probe.
The OSP, created under the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), is tasked with independently investigating and prosecuting corruption-related offenses, especially those involving public officials.
In its statement on Tuesday, the Special Prosecutor’s office did not disclose the names of any individuals but reassured the public that the investigation is actively underway.
“As the process continues, the Office remains committed to protecting the public purse and upholding integrity,” it said.
