A revenue officer at the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region, has been arrested for allegedly printing and issuing fake revenue tickets to commercial tricycle operators in Somanya.
Mr Peter Boboyo, the officer in question, reportedly sold the counterfeit tickets in exchange for daily levies, diverting funds meant for the Assembly’s coffers.
The scheme was uncovered after operators raised concerns over discrepancies in their receipts.
Mr Rasheed Hussein, the Municipal Coordinating Director, reported the matter to police leading to Mr Boboyo’s arrest.
Police sources confirmed that he admitted to printing and selling fake tickets alongside official ones and had since been granted bail pending further investigation.
The incident has sparked outrage among residents and transport operators, who claim it reflects deep-rooted corruption and weak oversight in local governance.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) some tricycle operators in the area expressed their displeasure at the issue saying, “This is taxpayers’ money and if those collecting the revenue are the same ones stealing it, how can the Assembly develop?”.
Authorities of the Assembly corroborating the incident to the GNA on Wednesday November 12, assured the public that disciplinary and administrative measures were underway to prevent a recurrence of such acts.
Mr Jacob Tetteh Ahuno, the Assistant Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), had described corruption in district revenue collection as a major obstacle to development at the local level.
He cited the Auditor-General’s 2022 report, which revealed that 19 assemblies could not account for 250 missing General Counterfoil Receipt booklets valued at over GH¢196,000.
Mr Ahuno called for the digitisation of revenue systems, strict auditing, tougher sanctions, and public sensitisation to encourage citizens to demand and verify official receipts.
The Police assured the community that investigations were ongoing and hinted that more arrests could follow if other officers were found complicit.
GNA
