Issa Seidu, one of the accused persons in the ongoing Tema Port rice container case being prosecuted by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), has been taken back into custody following his arrest for breaching his bail conditions according to report.
Seidu was arrested on 13th April, 2026 at the Kotoka International Airport while preparing to travel out of the country on an official trip facilitated and sponsored by the National Insurance Commission.
His attempted departure is said to have violated bail terms that required him to remain within the jurisdiction unless expressly permitted by the court.
He was subsequently arraigned before the Accra High Court (Criminal Division), Criminal Court 1, on 15th April, 2026, where the court ordered that he be taken back into custody pending further proceedings.
Issah is currently standing trial alongside three others in connection with the seizure of 10 containers of rice at Tema Port.
The development has also drawn attention to Seidu’s professional role, as a staff of the National Insurance Commission, which reportedly sponsored the trip in question.
The arrest has the public asking questions as to how the travel arrangements were made in the context of his bail restrictions.
Background
OSP charges four persons over attempted hijack of rice containers at Tema Port
The Office of the Specila Prosecutor (OSP) has announced that four public officials have been formally charged with corruption in connection with a high-profile attempt to unlawfully acquire ten containers of imported rice at the Tema Port.
The accused—Issah Seidu of the National Insurance Commission, James Keck Osei, a former Director at the former Vice President’s Secretariat, and Customs officers John Abban and Peter Archibold Hyde, allegedly conspired to seize the containers using forged documents and a falsified letter purporting to originate from the Office of the Vice President.
According to court filings, the rice was legally imported from Thailand in 2022 and all required duties had been duly paid. However, Seidu, with support from the other accused, attempted to secure the release of the containers through the Ghana Revenue Authority’s auction process under false pretences.
The accused persons manipulated official processes with the aim of diverting the containers for their personal gain, the OSP revealed.
Internal investigations by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), coupled with a High Court ruling, brought the scheme to light.
The four are expected to appear before court on Friday, 27 June 2025, where they will answer to multiple counts of conspiracy to commit a crime, corruption, and abuse of public office.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor has assured the public that it will pursue the case vigorously to its logical conclusion, warning that more officials could be implicated as investigations continue.
This case follows growing public scrutiny of corruption within Ghana’s public service and a renewed pledge by the current administration to restore integrity to state institutions.
