Customs officer faces court over alleged GH¢2,000 extortion at KIA

A 43-year-old Customs Officer, Torgbe Agbeti Dordoe, has been arraigned before the Adenta Circuit Court for allegedly extorting GH¢2,000 from a businessman at Terminal 3 of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).

Dordoe, who serves as a Revenue Officer with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Customs Division, 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.

According to the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Maxwell Lanyo, the complainant — a businessman residing at Airport West, Accra — returned from Dubai on November 28, 2024, carrying two sets of Bose musical instruments.

Upon arrival, the accused, who was on duty at KIA, allegedly assessed the customs duty on the items at GH¢21,000, which the complainant paid and for which a receipt was issued.

However, when the complainant reminded Dordoe that he had already paid duty on the same items during an earlier trip, the officer allegedly demanded an additional GH¢2,000 in cash, this time without issuing a receipt.

When the complainant requested that the payment be verified in the GRA system, Dordoe reportedly ignored the request, prompting the businessman to lodge a complaint at the Airport Police Station.

Following the report, the accused was invited by police investigators but requested time to appear. Multiple follow-up letters were subsequently sent by the police to both the GRA Customs Division at KIA and the Customs Headquarters between February and April 2025, requesting cooperation in the investigation.

Despite the lack of response, a criminal summons was issued, and Dordoe was served on April 28, 2025. He appeared before the court on May 12, 2025, where he was formally arrested and charged.