Copyright ghanaguardian
A Revenue Officer with the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Torgbe Agbeti Dordoe, has vehemently denied allegations that he extorted GH₵2,000 from a businessman at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA). According to Officer Dordoe, the claims are false, malicious, and intended to tarnish his hard-earned reputation. The matter, currently before the Adentan Circuit Court, was initiated by Horgli Wise Roland, who accused the Customs officer of unlawfully collecting the said amount from him during a previous travel encounter Court documents reveal that the complainant, Mr. Roland, arrived in Ghana from Dubai on February 15, 2025, carrying two sets of BOSE musical instruments. Upon arrival, he was attended to by Officer Dordoe, who reportedly assessed the goods and determined the applicable customs duty to be GH₵21,000—an amount duly paid, with an official GRA receipt issued as proof. However, Mr. Roland alleged that this was not his first experience with the officer. He claimed that during an earlier trip on November 28, 2024, the same officer allegedly demanded and received GH₵2,000 as duty payment without issuing any receipt. In his witness statement, Officer Dordoe categorically rejected the allegations, describing them as “frivolous, baseless, and deliberately filed to embarrass, oppress, and intimidate me for performing my duties diligently.” He further noted that the complainant’s narrative was inconsistent, alleging that the supposed amount of money changed several times during the course of the complaint. “My Lord, the statements by the Plaintiff were made recklessly and with the intent to damage my reputation. These defamatory remarks were made publicly and heard by several people within the vicinity of the incident,” he stated. Officer Dordoe told the court that the accusations had already caused significant harm to his reputation and integrity, which he had built over 17 years of dedicated service with the Customs Division. He added that he was previously recognised as the Best Revenue Detective at the Kotoka International Airport in 2019, underscoring his record of professionalism and integrity. “My Lord, the Plaintiff further threatened to use his political influence to have me interdicted and eventually dismissed from the Customs Division,” he added. Officer Dordoe is asking the court to: a. Declare that the statements and publications made by the Plaintiff on February 15, 2025, and thereafter, are defamatory. b. Award GH₵5,000,000 in damages for defamation. c. Grant a perpetual injunction restraining the Plaintiff from making any further defamatory remarks. d. Order the Plaintiff to publicly retract and issue an unqualified apology for the false publications. Officer Dordoe maintains that he has never engaged in any form of extortion and remains committed to upholding the integrity of the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Customs Division.
