A Customs Officer has appeared before the Adenta Circuit Court for allegedly extorting GH¢2,000 from a businessman at Terminal 3 of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
The accused, Torgbe Agbeti Dordoe, 43, has been charged with extortion but pleaded not guilty.
The court, presided over by Mrs Angela Attachie, granted him bail in the sum of GH¢10,000 with one surety to be justified. The case has been adjourned to January 21, 2026.
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Maxwell Lanyo, said the complainant, whose name has been withheld, resides at Airport West in Accra, while the accused is a Revenue Officer with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Customs Division, stationed at KIA.
According to the prosecution, the complainant reported to the police that he arrived in Ghana from Dubai on November 28, 2024, with two sets of Bose musical instruments.
During arrival formalities at the airport, Dordoe, who was on duty, assessed the Customs duty on the items at GH¢21,000, which the complainant paid and was issued a receipt.
The complainant later reminded Dordoe that he had already paid duty for the same items on his previous arrival in the country.
Dordoe then allegedly demanded an additional GH¢2,000 in cash as Customs duty but failed to issue a receipt for that payment.
When the complainant requested that the duty be verified in the system and an official receipt printed, the accused allegedly ignored the request.
The complainant subsequently lodged a report at the Airport Police Station, leading to an invitation being sent to Dordoe for questioning.
Chief Inspector Lanyo said the accused informed the police officers that he was on duty and requested to report at the station on February 17, 2025.
On February 20, 2025, a letter was sent to the Officer in Charge of the GRA Customs Division at the Airport, requesting confirmation of the incident and information on the duty collected by the accused, but no response was received.
A follow-up letter was later sent to the Customs Headquarters on April 4, 2025, requesting that the accused be released to assist in investigations, but again, no response was received.
On April 28, 2025, Dordoe was served with a criminal summons to appear before the court on May 12, 2025.
He appeared on the said date, and he was arrested and subsequently charged.
GNA
