Four officers of the Lands Commission in Accra are on trial at the Financial and Economic Division of the High Court, facing 77 criminal charges, including conspiracy to steal, theft, and money laundering.
The accused are 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.
Between December 2021 and 2023, the four allegedly created unauthorized payment accounts, diverting millions of cedis intended for the Commission.
According to court documents, these accounts were set up outside the official Ghana.GOV platform, allowing the suspects to manipulate transactions and siphon off funds meant for public revenue.
Presiding Judge Edward Twum was informed of an initial delay in the case due to the accused being absent at the first hearing, reportedly unaware of the scheduled date.
The court also heard that Cecil Lebene Kwabla, one of the accused, fled to Canada, having allegedly submitted an expired passport during the investigation.
The court has since issued a bench warrant for his arrest, with proceedings set to continue on November 13, 2024.
Case Background
The Lands Commission, established under the 1992 Constitution and the Lands Commission Act (Act 767), manages land transactions and collects Stamp Duties.
Payments for these duties are typically made at Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) or via the digital Ghana.GOV platform.
In September 2022, the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) launched an investigation after a petition from Arieli Company Ltd., which reported a missing payment of GH¢84,000 in Stamp Duties.
This led to the discovery of an intricate scheme in which Lands Commission employees allegedly intercepted and diverted payments by creating suspicious accounts to underreport transaction amounts.
Alleged underpayment include:
Mosrear Enterprise: Paid only GH¢8,998 for a transaction assessed at GH¢1,329,934.
Daniel Boateng: Paid GH¢423 for a total assessed at GH¢82,003.
Yaw Manu: Paid GH¢304.50 for a transaction valued at GH¢21,903.
Kojo Kodjoga Enterprise: Paid GH¢3,641 against a total of GH¢303,778.
Emmanuel Bani: Paid GH¢188 on an assessment of GH¢26,001.05.
Kwadwo Stephens Enterprise: Paid GH¢1,600 for a transaction worth GH¢233,492.50.
Investigators uncovered that the accused allegedly collected cash or cheques meant for the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), recorded reduced amounts on Ghana.GOV, and provided falsified receipts reflecting the full payment.
The funds were reportedly distributed among the accused or cashed with accomplices at Tema Port.
The case continues to unfold as the court examines the evidence, including mobile money transactions and phone IMEI records linking the accused to the diverted funds.
