La Bianca, its CEO, Customs did nothing wrong – Council of Freight and Trade disputes OSP's report
In its Press Release, the Council notes that both Labianca and the Customs division of the GRA acted in accordance with the laws of Ghana thus Customs Act 2015(Act 891).
The Council for Freight and Trade has rejected the report by the Office of the Special Prosecutor on its investigation into alleged corruption and corruption-related offenses involving Labianca and the Customs Division of the GRA.
The Council notes that the OSP got it all wrong and that its attempt to link the Member of the Council of State Ms. Eunice Jacqueline Buah Asomah-Hinneh to an alleged act of influence peddling is a clear case of ‘Give a dog a bad name and hung it.”
On August 8, 2022, the Office of the Special Prosecutor released its full report into a complaint of alleged corruption and corruption-related activities involving Labianca Company in which it made a finding that “ the coincidence of the indicated applications by La Bianca and the public office appointments of Ms. Asomah-Hinneh, its CEO to the Council of State, was not altogether accidental and that there is strong evidence to suggest that the events are a product of influence peddling.”
Additionally, it noted that the said application by Labianca for Customs review ruling was almost outlandish as it, in effect, requested the acceptance by the Customs Division of a range of values between 50% - 80% lower than the approved benchmark values of the frozen foods in question.
Further, the report found that the said customs advance ruling issued by Mr. Adu Kyei to the company was procured “through influence peddling or trading of influence by Ms. Asomah-Hinneh by employing her position as a member of the Council of State and a member of the Board of Directors of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority.”
However, in its Press Release, the Council notes that both Labianca and the Customs division of the GRA acted in accordance with the laws of Ghana thus Customs Act 2015(Act 891).
Further to the above, it indicated that the provision in the said customs Act does not in any way discriminate against any person on condition of their position, religion, status, etc.
Moreover, the Council’s statement states equivocally that under Customs Law(Act 891) and the World Trade Organisation Valuation, marking down or up benchmark values is never a crime or illegality and that the Customs deputy Commissioner acted within the confines of the law.
It also reiterates that both Labianca, its CEO, and Customs did not violate the law in any way thus disputing the OSP’s finding of influence peddling.