The vehicles, situated on the premises of the National Security Secretariat, will be auctioned after the public has been notified for a period of one month.

“Notices are to last for one month, after which the auction can proceed,” the court order, a copy of which is available to the Daily Graphic, directed.

The court ordered that notices to that effect were to be published at a conspicuous place on the building of the National Security Council, the notice board of the court and in the Daily Graphic.

Granting an ex-parte motion from INTERPOL, the court said: “It is hereby ordered that the 13 seized unserviceable cars deposited on the premises of the National Security Council be disposed of by public auction.”

Model of vehicles

The seized vehicles are two Jaguars, three Mercedes Benz cars, five BMWs, an Audi saloon, a Nissan Micra and a Jeep Cherokee.

Detective Corporal Ali Ganani of INTERPOL deposed to an affidavit in support of the ex-parte motion, which prayed the court to release the vehicles for auction.

According to the applicant, the owners of the said vehicles had failed to come forward to claim them, despite several efforts to get them to do so.

It said the vehicles were unserviceable, while their continued exposure to the sun would further cause them to deteriorate.

Background

In 2008, INTERPOL Ghana, in collaboration with the INTERPOL General Secretariat and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), conducted an operation to impound imported stolen vehicles.

The 13 vehicles were seized during the operation, dubbed: “Operation SETMA”.