Prof. Stephen Kwaku Asare, alias Kwaku Azar, a leading voice in Ghana’s governance advocacy space says Labianca Frozen Foods should be made to pay more than just the unpaid duties at the port.
THe company was recently found to be complicit in tax evasion activities thanks to influence peddling brought by owner and Council of State Member.
According to him, there is a need for them to pay the over GH¢1million (lost to the state) with interest and other penalties.
Apart from that, he suggests that persons involved in the scheme should be made to face criminal prosecution for causing financial loss to the state.
He made this position known in a post shared on social media.
“Paying the ₵1M shortfall is a start. But they must pay interest, penalties, and face criminal prosecution,” he said.
Background
Office of the Special Prosecutor(OSP) has ended its investigation of Labianca Foods over unpaid import duties robbing the state of millions of Ghana cedis
It could be remembered that a petition was brought before the Office of the Special Prosecutor over Labianca Foods’ failure to pay import duties.
On 16th November 2021, the Office of the Special Prosecutor received a written complaint from one Frank Asare against Labianca Group of Companies and its subsidiaries and the Customs Division
of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Customs Division.
The complainant alleged ongoing corrupt, illegal and questionable dealings between Labianca and the Customs Division resulting in unlawful markdown or reduction of benchmark values of frozen food products imported by Labianca under the guise of customs advance rulings.
According to the complainant, the unlawful markdowns or reductions of benchmark values were procured and being procured chiefly because the beneficial owner and Chief Executive of Labianca, Ms. Eunice Jacqueline Buah Asomah-Hinneh engages in influence peddling through her positions as a member of the Council of State and a member of the Board of Directors of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority.
The complainant contended that Labianca has gained an undue competitive market advantage in the frozen foods industry by reason of the alleged corrupt and other unlawful dealings. It was also alleged that the same undue competitive market advantage had been secured for supposed subsidiaries of Labianca – Rafano Frozen Foods Company Limited and Yoba Capital Limited.
After its investigation, Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has recovered over GHC1 million GHC1,074, 627.15) from Labianca Foods in unpaid import duties.
Mynewsgh.com