The accused include Issah Seidu, an officer at the National Insurance Commission; James Keck Osei, a former Director at the Office of the Vice President; and two senior Customs officers, John Abban and Peter Archibold Hyde.

According to an official statement from the OSP, the accused conspired to claim ownership of rice imported from Thailand in 2022 using forged documents.

Among the falsified documents was a letter allegedly issued from the Office of the Vice President—a key detail that initially gave the plot a façade of legitimacy.

Despite the containers being lawfully imported and all duties fully paid, Seidu and his collaborators attempted to override customs procedures to have the goods auctioned directly to him. Their scheme, however, was derailed following an internal investigation and a decisive High Court ruling that uncovered the fraud.

The four individuals face charges of corruption, forgery, and conspiracy to defraud, and are expected to appear before court on Friday, 27 June 2025.

New: Four Public Officials Charged with Corruption Over Seized Rice Containers

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… pic.twitter.com/zreiF9S87H

— Office of the Special Prosecutor-Ghana (@ospghana) June 19, 2025

The high-profile nature of the case has drawn public attention to the abuse of public office and procurement fraud.

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