Some aggrieved traders who ply the Accra-Lome road have accused the task force set up by the President to check corrupt practices at the nation's entry ports of harassment, seizing their wares and collecting their money and mobile phones without any explanation.
They have, therefore, appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to come to their aid by stopping the nefarious activities of the task force, because their sustenance depends on the business they do.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra yesterday, Mrs Dinah Nyankopa Daniels, one of the traders, said although the government had explained that the rationale for the establishment of the task force was to check corruption, their experiences showed the opposite.
Narrating their problems, she said many traders who travelled to Lome recently to buy goods were harassed and their wares were seized, without any explanations from the task force.
Mr Elvis Frimpong, one of the traders, said 400 cartons of canned malt and 300 bags of bathroom sandals (worth GH¢3500) were seized from him at Houta in the Volta Region.
He explained that he was on his way to Kumasi and after they had gone through the Asikuma checkpoint at 4 a.m., the driver of the vehicle carrying his goods decided to take a rest. Just then some men in a V8 vehicle with registration number GNU4051 charged on them, seized their mobile phones, collected their money, beat them up and fired into the air.
He showed receipts covering the duties on his goods from CEPS, numbering 32741 to 323753, to this reporter.
His seized goods, he said, had been dumped at the Airport Customs Laboratory.
Miss Margaret Atsu, another trader, said her corned beef and sardines were also seized at the Asikuma Checkpoint three weeks ago and she and her driver’s mobile phones were also seized.
By Emmanuel Quaye/Daily Graphic/Ghana
