Three of the four public officials who were accused by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) for failing to register their assets have been released by an Accra High Court.

This came about when they neglected to turn in the OSP-provided asset disclosure forms.

The OSP had notified the court that it had submitted a nolle prose qui stating that it had no grounds to continue prosecuting the three policemen.

The officers are Senior Custom officials John Abban and Peter Archibald Hyde, both of whom work as Civil Servants in the Office of the Vice President of the Republic.

Mr Issah Siedu, another public servant, who was also accused, was however not discharged.

Meanwhile, Issah Seidu has sued the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Customs Division, one Alex Takyi, a businessman and others over 10 containers of rice believed to have been imported from Vietnam of which the businessman claims it was from Thailand.

The matter is currently pending at Accra High Court in relation to the ownership of the rice.

The OSP contended that it would amend Seidu’s charges pending further investigation by the office.

The OSP earlier held that it was fulfilling its mandate by going after public officials who may be breaching the law as established.

However, after much publicity by the OSP’s office, it came to light that on January 6, 2023, Mr Keck Osei had submitted his forms to the OSP before he was charged on February 9, 2023.

In the case of Mr Hyde, on the day he was charged, he had earlier in the morning proceeded to the OSP to present his forms, but he was asked by the office to go and come back in the afternoon, only to be given a criminal summons when he returned to that office.

The two others, namely Mr Seidu and Mr Abban, submitted their forms later.