The Mahama government, has retrieved all five bulletproof vehicles from former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Thomas Oppong-Peprah and his Service Chiefs, following revelations by The Herald, regarding their unauthorised procurement.
The retired officers were directed to return the vehicles after reports, revealed that they had been acquired without the previous government’s approval.
The armoured Toyota Land Cruiser 300 GXR vehicles, purchased from Dubai, are currently parked at PR&D, the Defence Procurement Wing of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
All the vehicles originally arrived in army green, except for a 2023 Lexus LX 600, which was black and had chassis number, JTJPB7CX2P4023225, and is believed to still be in the custody of the former CDS. Reports suggest that the vehicles were subsequently resprayed black.
The Mahama government heeded calls for an investigation and ordered the return of the vehicles, which were in the possession of several retired officers. The cars were driven to their homes immediately after they arrived in the country.
These, include General Oppong-Peprah, former Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Admiral Issah Adam Yakubu, former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Bismarck Kwasi Onwona, former Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal Frederick Asare Kwasi Bekoe, and former Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Joseph Prince Osei Owusu.
The officers had reportedly justified their use of the bulletproof vehicles by citing a recent incident in which a Nigerian Brigadier was shot. However, regulations only entitle them to a saloon car and a pickup, not the bulletproof Toyota Land Cruisers, which past CDSs, have never used.
Officially, the retired officers claimed that the previous Armed Forces Council had approved the transaction. However, investigations revealed that no such approval had been granted.
The procurement process was fraught with irregularities, including severe overpricing. Military records indicate that each vehicle was purchased for US$285,000, despite customs records quoting an import price of US$160,000.
Six vehicles were imported and cleared in the name of the Ghana Armed Forces. However, only five vehicles were officially recorded as military assets.
The Lexus later had its customs duties paid privately by General Oppong-Peprah, raising questions about its classification as his personal property and prompting suspicions regarding his motives and those of the importers.
An apology letter dated March 21, 2025, signed by Brigadier General E.K. Commey, attempted to clarify discrepancies surrounding the procurement.
The letter, titled “Correction to Inspection and Monitoring Report Order for Armoured Toyota Land Cruiser 300 GXR for the Ghana Armed Forces,” raised further concerns.
In the letter, he stated: “This Department apologises for the inadvertent use of a wrong Procurement Order Form (DFB 1997) for the conduct of inspection of the five (5) Armoured Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles supplied vide Ref A. The Procurement Order Form (DFB 1997), Order No. E1/2407, dated 9 July 2024, was to be used as indicated vide Ref B.
The specifications quoted in the Procurement Order Form (DFB 1997) Order No: E1/2407 dated 9 July 2024 conform with the specifications of the vehicles supplied.
It is recommended that MESSRS RAMELSCO COMPANY LTD be paid the amount of One Million, Three Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($1,300,000.00), being cost of five (5) Armoured Toyota Land Cruiser 300 GXR vehicles supplied.”
Strangely, Brigadier General Commey was not part of the original military inspection team, and it remains unclear whether he authorised a second inspection of the five vehicles following the dispute between the Armed Forces and the supplier after The Herald’s report exposed the issue.
The controversy surrounding the procurement process, the overpricing, and the retention of vehicles by retired officers has raised serious questions about transparency and accountability within the GAF.
Calls for further investigations continue as stakeholders demand clarity on how the transaction was conducted and whether sanctions should be applied to those involved.