Stolen State Vehicles Retrieved From Former GIHOC MD Maxwell Kofi Jumah Amid Arrest

• Police have stolen vehicles linked to the former manager of GIHOC Distilleries Company Limited, Maxwell Kofi Jumah.
• Jumah was arrested at his Kumasi home on June 29, 2025, over alleged financial misconduct
• He is accused of shady vehicle deals, unauthorised sale of properties, and inflating staff numbers

Police have said they retrieved three allegedly stolen vehicles from the former manager of GIHOC Distilleries Company Limited, Maxwell Kofi Jumah.

Lydia Yaako Donkor, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department, said Jumah had been arrested based on a complaint made by GIHOC.

According the Donkor, the operation to arrest him on Jun 29 led to the retrieval of three vehicles reported to have been stolen from the state-owned beverage manufacturer.

"We received the petition to the effect that some vehicles, which were the property of that company, have been stolen by the said Maxwell Kofi Jumah. He is in our custody at the CID headquarters, and he is assisting in an investigation."

"I must say that as of this afternoon, we have retrieved three vehicles; the said vehicles that were stolen by him have been retrieved, so he is assisting us in the investigation, and we will take it up from there."

Jumah was placed in police custody after joining officers to inspect one of the vehicles at the centre of ongoing investigations.

Jumah granted bail

Jumah was subsequently granted bail in the sum of GH¢500,000 with two sureties, following his arrest in connection with the alleged theft of company vehicles.

His bail was granted on Monday, June 30, after he made an appearance at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters, where he had been held.

In all, Jumah is under investigation for alleged financial impropriety during his tenure at GIHOC Distilleries.

These include the questionable acquisitions of vehicles. He is said to have bought a Genesis G90 sedan valued at over $100,000 for just GH¢4,943.11.

He is also being probed for the retention of state vehicles, unauthorised sale of company properties in Tema valued at over $700,000 without the necessary approvals and the alleged inflation of staff numbers and manipulating staff figures, which reportedly placed an undue financial burden on the company.

Ghanaians react to Jumah's arrest

Ghanaians on social media have reacted to Maxwell Kofi Jumah's arrest by the National Security operatives.

YEN.com.gh compiled a few of the reactions below:

@ThisIsNot_Luck said:

"Dem don pick am? Nice one. Na so e dey start dem go carry you go station, do small show, then everybody go forget. For Ghana here, arrest no mean anything. E just be come chop fan small, we go release you later. Nothing dey happen pass that."

@kwabenaPetoa also said:

"From Picking Wontumi to Picking GIHOC Director. Full Abbreviation for GIHOC."

@Bukari_Bansuwer commented:

"This is the same man who was ALLEGEDLY taking home GHC40,000 every Friday (as weekend bonus) aside his salary, authorised by himself because he’s the boss. No one could speak against that because he would bully or threaten to sack you, so almost everyone was afraid to speak."

About GIHOC distilleries

GIHOC Distilleries Company Limited was the first modern distillery to be established in West Africa.

It was established by the pre-independence Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) in 1958 as the State Distilleries Corporation for the manufacture of alcoholic beverages. By NLCD 207, it however became a division of the then Ghana Industrial Holding Corporation (GIHOC) in 1968.

In 1980, the distillery together with 15 other divisions of GIHOC was reregistered and incorporated as a Limited Liability Company and wholly owned subsidiary of GIHOC, under Ghana’s Companies Code, 1963 (Act 179).

Following the closure of GIHOC, and subsequently the repeal of the statute incorporating it in 1993, GIHOC Distilleries became and has since remained a limited liability company, wholly owned by the Government of Ghana.

Attempts to probe Akufo-Addo appointees

YEN.com.gh reported that the MP for Assin South, John Ntim Fordjour's home was raided by National Investigations Bureau personnel.

National Security also raided the residence of former Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr. Ernest Addison, during a raid on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta's home was also raided by a national security team. The former minister has since sued National Security over the incident.

Source: YEN.com.gh