Ablakwa alleges that the GRA boss left Ghana just hours before the President called for an investigation into the controversial $100 million SML contract. The Member of Parliament took to X on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, to voice his concerns and directly accused President Akufo-Addo of complicity, questioning how the GRA Commissioner-General could have left the country without the President's knowledge.
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SML/GRA scandal: Akufo-Addo allowed GRA boss to flee Ghana with his family - Ablakwa
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has accused President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of allowing the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Adu Owusu-Amoah, and his entire nuclear family to flee the country amid the $100 million Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) corruption scandal.
SML-GRA scandal: Akufo-Addo allowed GRA boss to flee Ghana with his family - Ablakwa alleges
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In a strongly-worded statement, Ablakwa demanded an immediate explanation from President Akufo-Addo, stating, "President Akufo-Addo must immediately offer a sincere explanation to Ghanaians on the circumstances under which the GRA boss who signed the dubious SML contract, was allowed to travel out of the country with his entire nuclear family less than 24 hours after Akufo-Addo’s 2nd January 2024 press statement announcing that KPMG has been tasked to carry out an urgent audit into the sleazy affair."
Ablakwa emphasized the suspicious nature of the GRA boss's departure, noting that he did not use his official Service Passport with 2702 as its last four digits. This detail raises questions about the official nature of Owusu-Amoah's trip, as the Service Passport was issued to him as GRA Commissioner-General in 2019.
The North Tongu MP alleged that the Owusu-Amoah family's first destination was São Tomé and Príncipe, and continuous tracking indicates they may not be in a hurry to return.
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Moreover, Ablakwa claimed that the Commissioner-General has informed close relations of his lack of intention to return to Ghana anytime soon. This, according to the MP, jeopardizes the ongoing investigation initiated by KPMG following President Akufo-Addo's directive.
The SML scandal revolves around a $100 million contract awarded to Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited by the Ministry of Finance, accused by The Fourth Estate of falsehoods in the awarding process. SML responded by denying any revenue generation from upstream operations and labeling the $100 million per year payment allegations as entirely fictional.
As the allegations and counter-arguments intensify, Ghanaians await President Akufo-Addo's response to Ablakwa's serious accusations, and the outcome of the ongoing investigation into the SML scandal by KPMG.
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