Investigations launched into the dealings of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority,DVLA in Bolgatanga of the upper east region of Ghana by Tanga News have uncovered massive day light robbery  by some officials of the authority in connivance with Middlemen popularly known in the local parlance in illegal easier business  transactions as ‘’goro boys’’

Checks by TangaNews have revealed that the officials at DVLA charge customers not less than ghs260 before getting their motors registered whereas half of the amount collected does not reflect on the official customer receipt issued which is ghs141.00.

Most victims of these fraudulent acts have said that this has been the trend at the DVLA.And it was upon a tip off from a defrauded customer which led to the commencement of thorough investigations into the DVLA in the region.

Launch of Investigations

To ascertain the truth of the fraudulent allegations leveled against the DVLA, the regional Manager of the Authority, Vicent Appiah was contacted on phone by this reporter on the 8th of August, 2016 to find out the price list for motor registration. But when the call was placed to him, he directed that he should visit the office for the details.

The following day, the team visited the DVLA office located at Zuarungu a suburb of Bolgatanga   which is about a 10 minute drive from Bolgatanga on the Bawku Road. At the main yard, your right hand side is where some offices belonging to insurance offices, photo studios for passport and a stationery for printing and photocopying of documents. And the main yard has some cars parked.

In front of these offices are ‘’nim trees’’ where some customers are relaxing and motor bikes parked awaiting inspection.

There is a big garage painted green like a warehouse where inspections are conducted. In that same garage are some customers seated whiles their documents were being processed. I went to the cashier’s table to inquire the price list for my motor to be registered. He was busily attending to some customers so I wrote on a piece of paper:

’’ Please how much would it cost me to register my Yamaha motor bike?

He responded verbally ‘’ if the motor is yours and you are registering it is ghs240 but if it is not yours then you have to pay ghs260 ‘’

I was then directed to a young man shabbily dressed in a black Lacoste with ‘Khaki’ trousers to inspect my motor bike. The inspection Data form was issued and I was told to move to the garage for the motor to be weighed for further processing.

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On a table was one of the officials of DVLA whose name was given as Mutala.he requested for two passport pictures. I told him I was not having the pictures with me because I was registering for someone. He then asked me to bring the pictures in order for him to continue the registration process.

I returned home and went back the next day with the passport pictures and gave him the required documents to continue with the processing but he refused the pictures under the pretext that they were not clear though there was nothing wrong with the passport pictures.

I then went back to take a seat whiles he (Mutala) was busily talking to other customers by either turning them away or receiving some documents from some of his colleague workers to endorse.

Goro Boy takes over

Whiles I was observing what was going on at the registering point in the garage; a certain man introduced himself to me as “Gazoo” and told me he works with DVLA so he could get my bike registered for me. Seeing him moving around with documents from one office to another, I obliged and handed over the documents to him.

He then went and met Mutala the officer who refused to sign my documents .Gazoo returned in 10 minutes time and told me “the man(Mutala) is stubborn so if we give him at least ghs 20 cedis he will endorse the documents “.   I gave him the money and when he went he (Mutala) actually endorsed the documents confirming that he wanted me to “settle” him.

I then moved with Gazoo to the Cashier were an amount of ghs260 was paid to him as he earlier told me. I was asked to take my seat whiles they complete the documents for the collection of the number plate. Haven paid the money, I thought everything was done but surprisingly, Gazoo came to me and asked for another ghs30 to pay for the road worthy certificate. I gave him the money and he went back and within 30 minutes, he came out with the number plates with the DVLA documents and handed over to me.

Ghs260 paid to Cashier not reflecting on Official Customer Receipt

When the registered documents were handed to me it was about 5pm so Gazoo had to close. With the facts established about some of the illegal monies taken to customers before issuing of number plates and DVLA documentation to motors owners ,I crossed checked the entire document which contained the Inspections Data Form, Form A and the Official Customer receipt ,I realized that the money taken from me has not reflected .

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Also The Form A registration, Motorcycle weight and DVLA registration have been duplicated whiles the road worthy certificate was sold at an exceeding price of ghs30 whereas it was ghs5 cedis on the receipt signed by one Frank Marful-Sau.

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Manager and Accountant deny knowledge of illegal payments

 This was where I then moved to the Regional Manager Vicent Appiah after a phone call placed to him about my findings and needed his response. Upon arrival, he was with Mutala, the officer who spearheads the extortion at the DVLA.

However, when the findings were put before Mr. Vicent Appiah, he tried denying that the DVLA charges unapproved fees but when I asked him about Gazoo, he told me that he was a “Goro Boy” confirming that they work with the middlemen there.

Mr. Appiah who appeared uncomfortable and unease about the situation called Mutala aside whiles one of his officers came out from his office to find out from me what the issue was about. Whiles I was talking with the officer, I overhead Mr. Appiah angrily reprimanding Mutala saying “this is why I have been telling you people not to allow Gazoo and the other men to be working with us, now you see what they have caused for us?”

That was where Mutala pulled out his phone and moved a distance to call Gazoo and demanded his presence at the office to refund the money.

Meanwhile, when I asked to find out the actual amount for registering a motorcycle, Mr. Appiah was stingy with the information but rather asked me “ are you here to interrogate and threaten me or what, I have told you that I don’t know so why should you ask me again?”  He asked angrily

Gazoo refunds Money

With the posture of the Manager and his officers I left the premises of the DVLA and met Gazoo on my way who started pleading with me and even ready to pay the whole amount of Ghs260 to allow the matter rest but i refused asking him to only refund my remaining balance to use as evidence.

Whiles taking some notes from a bundle of money from his pocket amidst calls from his “Bosses” on the road side to refund the remaining money, he pleaded that I should not report him and his Bosses because he would lose his job

“ I know I am in trouble so even if you tell me to pay all the money you gave us , I will do it because I don’t want this matter to travel  far because my Boss  would sack me “ he pleaded

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I received the remaining ghs130 and left.

Another Customer, Adugbire Cletus told me when he went to get his motorcycle registered also suffered a similar ordeal from these officials at the DVLA .According to him, he paid a total amount of ghs270 but ghs161 appeared on his receipt.

Several customers have fallen victim of this additional unaccounted monies taken at the DVLA and the unscrupulous behaviors of  some of these officials who are paid by the task payers .

Tanga News checks can confirm that unlike the DVLA, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority charge fees which reflect on the official customer receipt. Ghs296 which was paid for registering the motorcycle used for this investigation actually reflected.

the worrying trend in the Upper East Region is that majority of Motorcycle owners have not registered with the DVLA paving way for the increasing motor snatching and stealing making it difficult for security officials to tracked perpetrators.

Meanwhile, it is barely a year after ace investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ Soul Takers’ Video, which captured some officials at the DVLA engaged in open corruption but the menace is resurfacing again.

Source: Tangaradioonline.com