Legal representatives for businessman Kwabena Adu-Boahene are demanding a refund of over GHS406,000 in Customs duties and taxes paid on a BMW 740D vehicle after the car was flagged as stolen by international crime agency, Interpol.
According to a formal letter issued by law firm Zoe, Akyea and Co., the vehicle, with chassis number WBA21EJ020CM11428, was sold to Mr. Adu-Boahene in 2024 by one Philip Kwame Brobbey of Philbro Group Ltd. The seller allegedly told the buyer that the vehicle was already in use in Ghana under the Free Zones scheme and had not yet cleared Customs.
Mr. Brobbey is said to have requested that Adu-Boahene settle the requisite import duties and taxes to enable formal transfer and registration of the vehicle. Acting in good faith, the vehicle was presented to the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) at Kotoka International Airport’s Preventive Unit for examination and valuation on December 10, 2024.
The Customs Division assessed the duties and taxes due at GHS406,366.08, which Mr. Adu-Boahene paid through the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) on December 17, 2024.
However, before the car could be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) informed Mr. Adu-Boahene that the vehicle was listed on Interpol’s stolen vehicle database, prompting a potential seizure.
Mr. Adu-Boahene’s legal team maintains that he was unaware of any illegality regarding the vehicle, which had reportedly been in use in Accra by the seller, Mr. Brobbey, prior to the transaction. They insist that Customs should not have accepted the duty payment on a vehicle flagged by international authorities.
“It is our client’s firm position that he purchased the vehicle in good faith, with no knowledge of any criminal links,” the letter stated, adding that, “your outfit will never accept the payment of Customs duty… of a vehicle which has been stolen from abroad and is on the Interpol Wanted List.”
The lawyers are now demanding a full refund of the GHS406,366.08 to allow Interpol to take further steps regarding the vehicle.
Customs and EOCO officials have yet to publicly comment on the matter, but the case raises broader concerns about due diligence and inter-agency coordination in preventing the entry and sale of stolen vehicles in Ghana’s auto market.