According to sources, some operatives of the national security stationed at the Takoradi Port allegedly collect huge sums of money from clearing agents who import poultry products through the port and aid them to clear their goods without the required inspection and permit by the veterinary officers.
Impeccable information DAILY GUIDE had gathered indicated that on Thursday, October 8, 2009, a vessel christened “NEDLLOYD EVITA” berthed at the Port with a container believed to have poultry products inside and to be cleared by an agent known as Super Mikes for one Awo based in Accra.
DAILY GUIDE gathered that instead of allowing the veterinary officer at the port to carry out his legitimate duty of inspecting the content of the container, personnel of the national security prevented him from doing so.
The paper learnt that the national security personnel only told the veterinary officer that an order from the Osu Castle, the Seat of government, had reached them that no one should inspect the content of the container.
When contacted, the veterinary officer at the Takoradi Port who declined to mention his name confirmed the story.
He alleged that a fictitious clearance form was prepared for the agents to clear the container without an inspection of its content by his outfit and gave the number of the clearance form as C0910015.
According to him, that was the second time the vessel had come to the Takoradi port. He said about two weeks ago, the vessel came in with a container full of unwholesome turkey meat and after inspection, it was asked to go back.
The veterinary officer whom the paper gathered is also a Public Health Officer continued that the vessel, NEDLLOYD EVITA, first went to the Tema Port on October 1, 2009, but because the security there was tight, the goods could not be cleared so it proceeded to Cotonou in the Republic of Benin.
He disclosed that when the vessel arrived at the Takoradi Port on the Thursday October 8, the container was made to pass through the scan machine and the result proved that its content was abnormal.
He alleged that surprisingly, the national security issued a new result indicating that the content of the container wasnormal and that it could be cleared without inspection.
According to the veterinary officer, since the announcement of the presence of the swine flu disease in the country, his outfit had vowed to ensure that poultry products imported into the country were wholesome for eating and not infected by the disease.
He said against this backdrop, he insisted that the container be opened for a proper inspection of its content and the necessary documents prepared, before it could be cleared from the port.
He noted that in the process, heated exchanges ensued between his officers and the national security at the Takoradi Port and the police was called in to restore calm.
DAILY GUIDE learnt that the police, led by the Western regional deputy commander, ACP Robert Mark Azu, also tried to prevent the container from being cleared from the port until its content was inspected by the veterinary officer.
The paper learnt that ACP Azu could not achieve his aim because he was told that an order from the Castle had asked the national security to clear the goods.
Attempts by the paper to reach the regional coordinator of the national security, Col. (rtd) Kaku Korsah, to react to the allegations proved futile as he did not pick calls.
ACP Azu also did not pick the calls.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi
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