GRA summons Jamila Home management over alleged assault of revenue officer
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has invited the management of Jamila Home, an antique showroom in Accra, to assist investigations into an alleged assault on a revenue officer during a tax compliance operation at the business premises.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, after showroom management reportedly denied GRA officials access to the premises. The ensuing confrontation allegedly left one officer assaulted and another official’s phone damaged as security personnel attempted to prevent him from recording the incident.
Assistant Commissioner in charge of Accra Area Enforcement, Joseph Adjeikwei Annan, said the operation followed intelligence received by the authority, prompting officials from its headquarters to conduct a compliance check at the showroom.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday, October 8, after leading officers to the premises, Mr Annan said the team encountered resistance when it attempted to gain entry.
"The information we got at the office was that they were refused entry and were assaulted. In fact, one of our officers lost their ID. It was broken," he said.
He disclosed that the officers involved had submitted statements to the authority, with the Criminal Investigations Department expected to obtain statements from the showroom’s management to establish the circumstances surrounding the confrontation.
According to him, records had also been collected from the business premises for examination to determine whether further compliance checks or a tax audit would be required.
Mr Annan cautioned against attacks on revenue officers, stressing that assaulting officials in the discharge of their duties could attract criminal sanctions.
"Assault is a crime, section 85 of the Revenue Administration Act prescribed a maximum prison term of 20 years for certain offences involving obstruction or assault of revenue officials," he said.
He added that the police would determine the appropriate next steps after hearing from both parties and conducting further investigations.
Jamila Home explains confrontation
Hillarius McCash, Economic Advisor to Jamila Home, offered a different account of the events, explaining that the showroom operated under a business model that restricted unrestricted access because it dealt in expensive luxury antiques.
He said clients were usually briefed at the entrance before being admitted, while prospective buyers were required to arrange appointments for private viewings.
According to Mr McCash, the GRA officer who visited on Wednesday arrived at a time when the staff member responsible for the relevant documents was unavailable.
"We asked the officer to wait, reschedule the visit or allow the documents to be brought to the GRA office but the request was not accepted," he narrated.
He said tensions escalated after the officers entered the premises, prompting security personnel to intervene.
Showroom insists it is tax compliant
Addressing concerns about its tax obligations, Mr McCash maintained that Jamila Home had been filing its returns and making tax payments in line with its business activities.
He said the company’s records were available for inspection and that its Value Added Tax (VAT) payments were current, with the most recent payment made about a month earlier.
Mr McCash explained that the showroom’s business model allowed customers to pay for antiques over an extended period, with some items remaining with suppliers until payments were completed.
He added that sales were not frequent, noting that the business could go between two and five months without completing a sale.
Despite the disagreement over the compliance exercise, Mr McCash said the company was willing to cooperate with the GRA to address any concerns arising from the investigation.