OSP investigates ‘transit’ palm oil containers suspected to have been sold locally

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) says it is investigating an alleged corruption scheme involving the disappearance of a large consignment of palm oil that was meant to be transported out of the country.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, 24 February 2026, the anti-corruption agency said 50 containers, each 20 feet long, were declared as goods in transit to Burkina Faso but were instead diverted and sold in Ghana.

The OSP estimates the shipment is worth GH¢25.8m and says the suspected diversion may have deprived the state of about GH¢10.5m in duties and taxes.

Investigators say early findings suggest possible involvement by some Customs officers, National Security operatives and clearing agents.

The agency said the case grew out of an intelligence-led operation carried out in November 2025, which flagged irregularities in how the cargo was handled and cleared.

The OSP said it would continue the inquiry and stressed that it was focused on protecting public revenue and enforcing accountability in the movement of imports and transit goods.

Separately, the OSP cited the interception of 18 articulated trucks at the Akanu Border, which were declared for transit to Niger and are suspected to form part of a wider diversion risk.

Post-inspection checks, it said, uncovered inconsistencies in declared unit values, tariff classifications and weights, pushing the estimated revenue exposure from GH¢2.6m to more than GH¢85m.

The trucks were stopped by the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, with authorities alleging the vehicles were moving without the required customs escort, in breach of standard transit procedures.