Issah Seidu, James Keck Osei, John Abban, and Peter Archibold Hyde have been formally charged with corruption after allegedly conspiring to hijack ten containers of imported rice at Tema Port.

The rice, imported from Thailand in 2022, was fraudulently claimed by Seidu using fake documents and a letter falsely issued from the Office of the Vice President.

Seidu, who works with the National Insurance Commission, and Osei, a former Director at the Vice President’s Secretariat, allegedly teamed up with two senior Customs officials—Abban and Hyde—to override customs processes and secure the goods.

Despite the rice being legally imported and duties paid, the group tried to auction the containers to Seidu. Their plot collapsed after internal investigations and a High Court ruling exposed the scheme.

The four are due in court on Friday, 27 June 2025.