Click to play videoNew Delhi: The West African country of Ghana has alleged there was fraud in the import of rice from India in 2009 and has urged an investigation into how the Commerce Ministry, which was then headed by Congress leader Kamal Nath, handled the imports.
The Commerce Ministry last year recommended the export 2,25,000 tonnes of non-basmati rice to 22 “friendly and needy” African countries, including Ghana, though the Government was fighting a food crisis and there was a ban on export of grain.
P Chidambaram, who was the Finance Minister then, had opposed the Commerce Ministry’s recommendation but the imports were eventually allowed.
The Ghanaian government now alleges a scam of Rs 2,500 crore took place when private companies, which handled the rice shipments, diverted the grain for profits.
Ghana's Attorney General has written a letter--accessed by CNN-IBN--to his Indian counterpart requesting assistance in its own investigation and alleging that rice meant for humanitarian aid from India was diverted for commercial use.
The letter asks for probe a into the Commerce Ministry’s role in the import of 1.5 crore kg of rice from India to Ghana in February 2009.
Ghana's Bureau of National Investigation launched a probe in May 2009 and is currently investigating role of their former Foreign Minister Akwasi Osei Agyei.
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