A Revenue Officer with the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Torgbe Agbeti Dordoe, has firmly denied allegations that he extorted GH₵2,000 from a businessman at the Kotoka International Airport.
Torgbe Agbeti Dordoe insists the accusations are unfounded and were only made to tarnish his reputation.
The case was brought before the Adentan Circuit Court by Horgli Wise Roland, who accused the officer of unlawfully taking the amount from him during an earlier travel encounter.
Background of the Complaint
According to court statements, the complainant returned to Ghana from Dubai on February 15, 2025, carrying two sets of BOSE musical instruments.
During arrival checks, he was attended to by RO Dordoe, who reportedly assessed his items and determined the appropriate customs duty to be GH₵21,000.
The complainant paid the stated amount and was issued an official GRA receipt as evidence of the transaction.
However, the complainant went on to tell the court that this was not the first time he had traveled with similar equipment.
He claimed that on November 28, 2024, he brought in the same brand of instruments, during which the same customs officer allegedly demanded GH₵2,000 from him as duty payment. This previous amount, he said, was allegedly collected without any receipt issued to him.
Officer Dordoe’s Response
In his witness statement submitted to the court, Officer Dordoe categorically rejected the allegations, describing them “frivolous, baseless and deliberately filed to embarrass, oppress and intimidate my good self for doing my job diligently.”
He stated that the complainant’s claims were inconsistent and lacked credibility, pointing out that the amount allegedly extorted had been revised multiple times.
“My Lord, the statements by the Plaintiff, which were directed at me, were made recklessly and deliberately with the aim of causing reputational damage to me. These defamatory statements were heard by all persons within the vicinity of the incidence.
“My Lord, by the unlawful and defamatory conducts of the Plaintiff, my hard earned reputation and integrity, built over the past seventeen years, has been dented and damaged by the unjustified and unlawful conducts of the Plaintiff.
“My Lord, the Plaintiff further threatened that he was going to use his political influence to get me interdicted and eventually sacked from the Customs Division.”
Officer Dordoe emphasised that he has served with the Customs Division for the past 17 years, maintaining an unblemished professional record.
He noted that he was recognised as the Best Revenue Detective at the Kotoka International Airport in 2019, a testament to his commitment and integrity.
He expressed concern that the ongoing allegations—though unproven—had already caused significant damage to his reputation, dignity, and career credibility.
Counterclaims
Officer Dordoe among other things, is praying the court to;
a. Declare that the various statements by the Plaintiff on the 15th day of February, 2025 and the subsequent publications by the Plaintiff are defamatory.
b. Order for the payment of Five Million Ghana Cedis (GHC 5,000,000) in damages for defamation.
c. Grant perpetual injunction against the Plaintiff restraining him from further making any defamatory comments
d. Issue an order directed at the Plaintiff to write publicly to withdraw all such defamatory publications and to unqualifiedly apologise.
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