The Herald has obtained details of the company behind the 12 articulated trucks carrying 44,055 packages of edible cooking oil, tomato paste and spaghetti, which the Ministry of Finance said attempted to evade taxes worth over GH¢85 million.
One of the documents identified MAN-GOO LIMITED, with Post Office Box 2038, located at Sakumono, Accra, Ghana, as the importer behind the 12 trucks.
They had lied about the number of trucks to carry their goods to Niger.
According to official correspondence sighted by The Herald, the company sought permission to move the goods in transit from Togo through Ghana to Niger under Bill of Entry number 81225872581, dated 30 December 2025, but was denied. It, however, disregarded the orders of orders until the goods were impounded.
The letter dated 8 January 2026, the recently appointed Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Aaron Kanor, rejected the company’s application for a Customs escort.
The application, dated 7 January 2025 and titled “Application for an Escort”, requested approval to move 10 articulated trucks from Togo via the Akanu border post in the Volta Region to Kulungugu en route to Niger.
The letter listed the trucks’ registration numbers and sought official clearance for the transit movement. Interestingly, although 18 articulated trucks were said to have been involved, the letter mentioned that MAN-GOO LIMITED sought permission for only 10 trucks, whose Registration numbers it provided.
Mr. Kanor, in his reply said “The Commissioner, Customs Division after carefully study your application has declined your application for escort to move Ten (10) trucks with Registration number 11 KG8967 BF/11GN2943BF, GJ 511-21, GJ511-21, GN1894-24, TG2185AU/TGO638AJ, TG6971AN/TG3501V, TG9477BR/TG2387AL, TG9546BR/TG3830BK3911BE from Togo via Akanu to Niger through Kulungugu vide Bill of Entry number 81225872581 of 30th December, 2025”.
He further directed the company to re-export the goods back to Togo and copied the Sector Commander, Aflao, and the Officer-in-Charge at Akanu.
“In light of the above, you are to re-export the goods back to Togo. By copy of this letter, the Sector Commander, Aflao and Officer-in-Charge, Akanu, are to note and act accordingly. Please be guided.”
Despite the rejection, the director of MAN-GOO LIMITED dispatched the trucks through Ghana 41 days later.
A specialised enforcement team from the Customs Division of the GRA intercepted 12 of the articulated trucks during an overnight operation along the Dawhenya–Tema Road. The remaining six were subsequently traced.
The operation, conducted between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. on 18 February 2026, was led by the Deputy Commissioner (Operations), with support from the Chief Revenue Officer (Preventive, Tema Collection), the Revenue Mobilisation Taskforce of National Security, and enforcement officers from the Tema Collection and Customs Headquarters. Officials described the development as a serious breach of Ghana’s transit regime with significant revenue implications.
MAN-GOO LIMITED is yet to speak on the matter, despite threats from the Ministry of Finance that the impounded goods will be sold at auction in accordance with relevant laws.
The statement suggested that, had the scheme succeeded, the state could have incurred revenue losses of GH¢82,682,952, raising concerns about possible internal complicity.
The scandal has triggered changes within the GRA. In a statement issued on Monday, the Authority confirmed that President John Dramani Mahama had appointed Aaron Kanor as Acting Commissioner of the Customs Division, following the removal of Brigadier General Glover Ashong Annan.
Kanor is said to bring more than three decades of experience in revenue mobilisation, border security and trade facilitation. Prior to his appointment, he served as Officer in Charge of Port Operations, overseeing customs enforcement, revenue collection and compliance within Ghana’s international trade framework.
Ghana Link Network Services Limited, operators of the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), has stated that all 18 transit trucks captured under Bill of Entry (BOE) 80226125039 have been accounted for on its electronic tracking platform.
In a statement issued in Accra on Friday, the company clarified that the six trucks previously reported as missing were not unaccounted for in its system.
The clarification follows reports that the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) had intensified efforts to trace six articulated trucks believed to be unaccounted for in a suspected transit diversion scheme involving goods with potential tax exposure exceeding GH¢85 million.
The trucks were part of a consignment of 18 vehicles electronically gated out of the Customs system as transit cargo, but were allegedly found moving within Ghana without the mandatory Customs escort.
Ghana Link stated that, based on its electronic tracking, playback analysis, and on-the-ground verification, all trucks had been located.
“As of yesterday and this morning, Ghana Link’s field team physically confirmed their locations as seen on our tracking system. We have transmitted the information and report to the Customs Division for any action deemed necessary under the law,” the statement said.
The company explained that playback data indicated the trucks were initially on the declared transit route from Akanu to Kulungugu until authorities directed 11 of them to move to the Tema Customs Transit Yard. “Because the Transit Yard is not part of the originally declared transit corridor, the system triggered a route deviation alert,” it said.
The Minister for Finance, Dr Ato Forson, has directed the GRA to conduct comprehensive investigations into the matter. Disciplinary action will be initiated against any Customs officers found culpable.
Criminal investigations will also extend to importers and clearing agents where evidence supports prosecution.
The impounded goods will be sold at auction in accordance with relevant laws.
In response to this incident and the abuse of transit operations, the Finance Minister has directed the GRA to implement the following immediate measures : “All land transit of cooking oil is hereby prohibited. Such consignments must be routed exclusively through Ghana’s seaports”.
“All transactions originating from land collection points will be subjected to enhanced monitoring, tracking, and strict compliance enforcement to safeguard state revenue”.
Prompt implementation of disciplinary measures and legal prosecution of Customs officers found culpable in similar circumstances”.
The statement said the Mahama government remains resolute in safeguarding local industry and jobs, while ensuring that Ghana’s customs regime is not exploited to undermine domestic revenue mobilisation and national development.
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Source:
www.ghanaweb.com