- 4 Lands Commission Officers Face Trial
- 77 Criminal Charges Include Conspiracy, Stealing, Money Laundering
- Accused Diverted Millions of Cedis from Commission
Four officers of the Lands Commission have been charged with 77 criminal offenses and are currently on trial at the Financial and Economic Division of the High Court in Accra. The defendants include Frank Kwame Dorko, an IT officer; Emmanuel Mawuli Bani, an engineer; Jephther Danso Akyea, a system administrator; and Cecil Lebene Kwabla, also an IT officer.
The charges against the officers consist of conspiracy to steal, stealing, and money laundering, with the alleged crimes taking place between December 2021 and 2023. According to court documents, the officers are accused of creating unauthorized payment accounts to divert funds from the Lands Commission, resulting in significant financial losses amounting to millions of cedis.
These unauthorized accounts were reportedly established outside the official Ghana.GOV payment platform, allowing the suspects to manipulate transactions and siphon funds intended for the Commission.
The case, overseen by Justice Edward Twum, faced initial delays due to the absence of the accused at the first hearing. The court was informed that the defendants had not been notified of the scheduled date. Furthermore, it was revealed that Cecil Lebene Kwabla had fled to Canada, allegedly using an expired passport during the investigation, which facilitated his escape. A Bench Warrant has since been issued for his arrest, and the court is set to reconvene on November 13, 2024.
Background of the Case
The Lands Commission, established under the 1992 Constitution and the Lands Commission Act (Act 767), is responsible for managing land transactions and collecting Stamp Duties. In Accra, customers seeking to pay Stamp Duties typically direct payments to Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) or use the Ghana.GOV platform, which facilitates digital payments via mobile money or bank transfers.
The investigation into the alleged fraud commenced in September 2022, following a petition from the Managing Director of Arieli Company Ltd., which had reportedly paid GH¢84,000 in Stamp Duties that could not be traced in the Commission’s records. This prompted the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to initiate an inquiry, uncovering a complex scheme involving underpayment and fund diversion by various employees of the Commission.
Details of the Fraudulent Activities
The investigation revealed multiple suspicious accounts used to process unusually low payments on behalf of customers, significantly undermining the assessed Stamp Duty amounts. Mobile money records, phone IMEI numbers, and transaction logs linked the accused individuals to these accounts, which were allegedly utilized to intercept funds.
Notable discrepancies uncovered include:
- Mosrear Enterprise: Paid only GH¢8,998 for transactions assessed at GH¢1,329,934.
- Daniel Boateng: Paid GH¢423 against an assessed total of GH¢82,003.
- Yaw Manu: Paid GH¢304.50 instead of GH¢21,903.
- Kojo Kodjoga Enterprise: Paid GH¢3,641 for transactions valued at GH¢303,778.
- Emmanuel Bani: Paid GH¢188 for an assessed total of GH¢26,001.05.
- Kwadwo Stephens Enterprise: Paid GH¢1,600 against an assessed total of GH¢233,492.50.
The accused allegedly intercepted payments by collecting cash or checks intended for the Ghana Revenue Authority, underpaying the amounts on Ghana.GOV, and falsifying receipts to reflect the full values for customers. They reportedly divided the illicit proceeds among themselves or exchanged checks for cash with accomplices at Tema Port.
