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'Rotten' chicken enters Ghana; CEPS begins probe

The Herald newspaper on Monday reported that some unwholesome frozen food products, have found their way into the country under bizarre circumstances.

Speaking on the subject matter on Accra-based Citi FM, a member of the CEPS communication team, Paa Kow Ekumah, said his outfit is investigating the incident.

“That issue has come up and we are seriously looking at it – investigations are going on from different angles. It’s a little sensitive now, and it’s a little early to draw conclusions. But what we know is that, when it comes to Customs, we will always make sure that we will not find ourselves at the wrong side of the law.”

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“In the case of this chicken, yes, the full work hasn’t been done yet, and we have our officers down there and I’m sure in a matter of a day or two, we will come to a conclusion on it. But nothing really has gone wrong that has to do with Customs having done the wrong thing or even the FDA,” he added.

It will be recalled that on October 1, 2017 the Food and Drugs Authority destroyed 4,500 cartons of unwholesome canned fish that found its way into the country.

With the mackerels, however, they were bound for Togo and not Ghana, Mr. Ekumah explained.

“The other one that has to do with sardine; that one was diverted goods. They were not meant for Ghana’s consumption, they were meant for Togo. So with that one, nothing really went wrong as far as CEPS or FDA are concerned. When there are goods declared as transit consignment, the FDA would not be hauled to come and work on them just because they are not meant for home consumption.”

“Customs will not be tasked to exact duties on them because they are not meant for home consumption.  Ours is to make sure we expedite any documentation that has to do with them, and then we police them to leave the country – at the point of exit. What we do is that, we try to attach satellite devices to them,” he added.

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Meanwhile, the Food and Drugs Authority, FDA, has said that only a portion of the entire container had rotten chicken in it, adding that they were sorted out and destroyed with the help of veterinary officers.

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