Members of the Vehicle and Assets Dealers Union of Ghana (VADUG), who had their garages raided by a combined team from the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the police on December 9, 2022, are calling on President Nana Akufo-Addo and his Vice to call the EOCO boss, Commissioner of Police (COP), Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah to order.
About 300 vehicles were seized and towed in a joint operation by the Police, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and EOCO, aimed at clamping down on owners of car garages who have been evading tax.
VADUG in a statement said, “We can confirm that these vehicles were imported mainly from Canada and the United States of America. We are on this note calling on the President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and the Vice President, His Excellency Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia who is the Chairman of the National Police Council to call the EOCO boss to order. If anything at all, they should exercise a bit of caution in the implementation of this policy or directive. This will restore confidence and hope of the general public in law enforcement”.
The statement said some members of VADUG were assaulted by law enforcement agencies during the operation, adding that no official explanations have been given to VADUG and garage owners and or operators.
The statement added, “we would like to place on record that VADUG members are law-abiding citizens who are going about their legitimate businesses. The vehicles that were seized have valid documents. All taxes and duties had already been paid to the Ghana Revenue Authority”.
The troubled VADUG members described the timing of the exercise as “absolutely wrong”.
“We don’t want a situation where some people will take advantage to do all kinds of things. Christmas is less than 2 weeks away. The timing of this exercise is therefore absolutely wrong,” the statement stressed.
Read VADUG’s full statement below:
PRESS STATEMENT BY VADUG ON CAR RAIDING EXERCISE BY EOCO & THEIR EXTERNAL COLLABORATORS
Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen of the press. On behalf of VADUG, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you all to the very important press encounter. We really do appreciate your attendance, especially in view of the very short notice.
This meeting has been occasioned by the rambo style raiding exercise undertaken by EOCO and police, allegedly supported by their international partners on Friday 9th December, 2022.
It has come to our notice as a union that a combined team from EOCO and other state security agencies like Police and GRA, embarked on a massive exercise against garages owned and or operated by VADUG members during which about 300 vehicles were seized and towed to unknown destinations from various car sales ports here in Accra on Friday 9th December, 2022. We can confirm that these vehicles were imported mainly from Canada and the United States of America. So far, no official explanations have been given to VADUG and garage owners and or operators. During the operation, some members of VADUG were assaulted by law enforcement agents with some of our members receiving treatment in hospitals in the metropolis.
We would like to place on record that VADUG members are law abiding citizens who are going about their legitimate businesses. The vehicles that were seized have valid documents. All taxes and duties had already been paid to the Ghana Revenue Authority.
Though we don’t condone and connive with any crime or criminals as a union, we also support the government in every area as far as government Revenue Mobilization for national development is concerned.
However, the way and manner the exercise was conducted has scared most of our suppliers and buyers as well. We urge upon the relevant authorities of the Republic to act quickly to forestall any upheaval.
We are on this note calling on the President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and the Vice President, His Excellency Dr. Mamudu Bawumia who is the Chairman of the national Police council to call the EOCO boss to order. If anything at all, they should exercise a bit of caution in the implementation of this policy or directive. This will restore confidence and hope of the general public in law enforcement.
We don’t want a situation where some people will take advantage to do all kinds of things. Christmas is less than 2 weeks away. The timing of this exercise is therefore absolutely wrong.
THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
LONG LIVE GHANA.