The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has launched an investigation into a suspected corruption scheme involving the diversion of 50 containers of palm oil valued at GH¢25.8 million into Ghana’s local market.
In a statement issued on February 24, 2026, the OSP said the consignment had been declared as transit cargo bound for Burkina Faso but was unlawfully redirected into the domestic market without payment of duties and taxes, resulting in an estimated tax loss of GH¢10.5 million.
The probe follows an interception by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Customs Division on February 18, 2026, when 18 articulated trucks carrying cooking oil, spaghetti and tomato paste reportedly declared for transit to Niger were stopped at the Akanu and Aflao border posts. Authorities uncovered tax evasion amounting to GH¢85.3 million, with the cargo allegedly transported without the mandatory Customs Human Escorts required under Ghana’s transit regime.
The scale of the operation prompted Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson to order an immediate ban on the land transit of cooking oil, directing that such consignments enter and exit Ghana exclusively through designated seaports.
According to the OSP, preliminary findings indicate the involvement of some Customs officers, National Security operatives and clearing agents in what it describes as a coordinated corrupt scheme spanning multiple state institutions.
The investigation stems from an intelligence-led operation initiated in November 2025. While no individuals have yet been named, the OSP reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding public funds and ensuring accountability as investigations continue.