Forty (40) vehicles have been impounded by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) at the Tema Harbour for the usage of fraudulent Drive from Port (DP) stickers. The seizure follows an intelligence-led operation conducted by the DVLA on Friday, April 17.

According to a statement by DVLA, its preliminary investigations indicate vehicles imported by CFAO, a subsidiary of Toyota Tsusho Corporation, did not undergo the required clearance processes.

“However, evidence suggests that an agent engaged to clear the vehicles on behalf of the company employed illegal methods, resulting in the discrepancies identified,” parts of the statement read.

The DVLA introduced DP stickers to address revenue leakages associated with the previous aluminum DP plate system. Following this reform, the Authority recorded a significant increase in the issuance of DP stickers from an average of 2,000 stickers per month to approximately 15,000 in the month of October 2025.

In recent months, however, a noticeable decline in DP sticker issuance at the ports prompted further investigations. Last year, the Chief Executive Officer of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Julius Neequaye Kotey, met with the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

He appeared before the committee, Friday, October 31, to defend a recent claim that he turned down a GH¢4 million bribe offer from some powerful individuals who sought to block the government’s new Digitalised Vehicle Registration Plate (DP) initiative.

In an interview, Mr Kotey revealed, “… When I started this thing [car registration initiative], let me say that a gentleman called me. I don't even know where that gentleman is from, whether it was a trap or not. He brought GH¢4 million to my office (sic)…

“They came to my office saying that they do not want the DP sticker to be introduced since it would not help them benefit from monies in any way. They know they are stealing from the county. They brought cash, and my security can attest to that… I just said I can’t take it”.

The DVLA boss was spotted leaving the OSP premises; however, what transpired during the meeting is yet to be made public. The Digitalised Vehicle Registration Plate (DP) initiative forms part of the government’s effort to improve road safety and curb vehicle-related fraud.

On Monday, October 27, a tense moment erupted during a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sitting when Chairperson Abena Osei-Asare sharply confronted the DVLA boss over privacy concerns tied to the authority’s proposed digital number plate system.

The exchange followed Mr. Kotey’s explanation that the new plates would contain Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips to enhance security and make it difficult for outsiders to tamper with or duplicate them.

Mrs. Osei-Asare, however, raised concerns about whether the new plates would display vehicle owners’ surnames, warning that such information could expose personal data.

In response, Mr. Kotey said the DVLA would comply with Ghana’s Data Protection Law, noting that the system would only digitalize existing information without altering its basic format. When pressed for a clear answer on whether names would appear, he replied, “It depends on what the law says; we’ll go by it.”

That response immediately drew a sharp reaction from the PAC Chair, who retorted, “You don’t tell me it depends on what the law says. You are doing it, so you should be able to tell us what the law says. I’m asking a specific question: is it going to have the user’s surname on the number plate?”

Mr. Kotey later clarified that names do not appear on standard number plates, explaining that only personalized plates bear such identifiers. The Chair, however, maintained that the Committee’s inquiries were in the public interest and aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability in the rollout of the new digital number plate system.