Vice President’s Office supports investigation into unauthorised letter to clear 15 containers of rice

The Office of the Vice President Tuesday expressed satisfaction with the Special Prosecutor’s decision to continue investigations into the clearance of 15 containers of rice in which the Office allegedly facilitated the clearance.

Mr James Keck Osei allegedly sought assistance from the Commissioner-General of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to clear the 15 containers of rice in April, 2022.

Mr James Keck Osei, a civil servant who works at the Office of the Vice President as Director of Administration, is being investigated by the Special Prosecutor for addressing an unauthorised letter to the Commissioner-General of the GRA on April 27, 2022, seeking assistance to clear the 15 containers of rice.

The letter, among other things, falsely conveyed information that the Office of the Vice President needed the containers of rice for the Ramadan festivities.

The GRA did not comply with the said letter but rather informed him that there was another claimant to the rice.

On receipt of that information, Mr Keck Osei wrote another letter on July 5, 2022, to withdraw his letter of 27th April, 2022.

In his second letter, he stated that the Commissioner-General of the GRA should cancel any prior action taken based on his previous letter.

A statement issued on Tuesday by the Secretary to the Vice President, Mr Augustine Blay, in response to the matter, said it was only the Secretary to the Vice President who is mandated to write letters on the Office’s behalf and that Mr Keck Osei did not have any such authority.

It said the Chief Director at the Office of the President had also begun investigations into the issue in accordance with the Civil Service procedures, rules and regulations and where a breach is established, the Service shall apply the necessary sanctions.

In September, last year, it came to the attention of the Office of the Vice President that Mr Keck Osei had been invited by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (SP) to assist in an investigation related to rice importation.

Following the SP’s announcement, Mr Keck Osei was arraigned on Monday, February 13, 2023.

Source: GNA