The Lands Commission says it has interdicted 10 of its 16 employees who have been busted by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) for stealing more than GHȼ100 million.
The employees are alleged to be part of a 21-member gang that conspired to manipulate a software of the Commission enabling it to generate fake duty stamps and steal money the Commission was to pay to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
According to JoyNews’ Court correspondent, Joseph Ackah Blay, stealing and money laundering charges have been filed against the 16 employees.
He noted that the trial is in progress.
Meanwhile, five other members of the 21-member gang who are not Lands Commission employees are still at large.
However, addressing the press on the development, the Deputy Executive Secretary, Jones Ofori-Boadu, explained that the manipulated software – the Enterprise Land Information System was developed in-house and has been used in the Commission’s processes and it was effective.
He noted that the software has been immediately secured to prevent further theft.
“In the interim, we have moved the platform to a firm to manage it for us so that would help us to safeguard some of these malpractices.”
He added that “in the long term, what we intend to do is to change the entire software on an open software platform.”
Touching on the precise amount stolen so far, he said:” I cannot speak to that because we are still investigating.”