OSP Charges Ex-Vice President’s Aide, Customs Officials Over Stolen Rice Containers
OSP charges former VP staffer and three others in connection with illegal acquisition of 10 rice containers at Tema Port using forged documents
- Four officials, including a former Vice Presidential staffer
- Accused used forged documents, including a fake VP letter, to seize 10 rice containers at Tema Port
- Charges include corruption, wire fraud, and forgery
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has officially charged four individuals—including James Keck Osei, a former Director at the former Vice President’s Secretariat—in connection with an alleged scheme to unlawfully acquire 10 containers of imported rice at the Tema Port.
Also facing charges are Issah Seidu, a staffer at the National Insurance Commission, along with senior Customs officers John Abban and Peter Archibold Hyde.
According to a statement shared on X, the OSP alleges that Seidu and Osei conspired with Abban and Hyde to sidestep proper customs procedures using forged documents, including a fake letter supposedly from the Office of the Vice President.
Though the rice, imported from Thailand in 2022, had its duties fully paid, the accused reportedly attempted to manipulate the system to auction the containers off to Seidu. The scheme unraveled after internal probes and a High Court ruling brought the misconduct to light.
The four are set to appear in court on Friday, June 27, 2025, to face multiple charges, including corruption, wire fraud, and forgery.
