GRA Boss Flees Ghana – Ablakwa Alleges
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has alleged that Dr Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), has been aided to flee the country following the announcement of an audit into Authority’s revenue assurance contract with Strategic Mobilization Ltd (SML).
According to him, he absconded with his wife and children using his ordinary passport to São Tomé and Príncipe with the help of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and is never returning.
In a write-up on his social media pages on Wednesday, January 10, the legislator gave details of his allegations demanding an explanation from the President for the turn of events after ordering an audit into the contract.
“My unimpeachable and irrefutable tracking of Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Adu Owusu-Amoah reveals that on January 3, 2024, he led his family to swiftly and clandestinely leave the jurisdiction. Exactly a week ago, the entire Owusu-Amoah family departed at 17:10 on TAP Air Portugal, flight TP 1527 from KIA-Terminal 3.”
“Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Adu Owusu-Amoah used an ordinary Ghanaian passport issued on June 14, 2019, with its last four digits being 5283. Interestingly, the runaway GRA boss did not travel with his Service Passport with 2702 as its last four digits. A Service Passport which was issued to him as GRA Commissioner-General on October 3, 2019. This development adds another layer of confirmation that Rev. Dr. Owusu-Amoah has not embarked on an official trip.”
He therefore asserted that the seeming concern of the President over the contract is a “sham”.
Meanwhile, he indicated that a Parliamentary inquiry will be instituted into the contract.
Background
The GRA has awarded three contracts to SML since 2019 to detect invoice fraud, fight under-declaration of fuel volumes and, by extension, taxes collected by the fuel marketers from consumers on behalf of the government and then an expansion to minerals exported by Ghana.
The contacts are reported to have been awarded through sole sourcing.
According to the Media Foundation For West Africa (MFWA), investigations revealed SML is not tackling any of the problems and malfeasance that were identified in causing leakages in the sector.
It also established that SML by the contract will be paid US$100 million by the government of Ghana for the “revenue assurance” it provides.
The GRA in a statement in December 2023, denied SML was being paid for no work done.
“The work of SML over the period has led to a significant increase in the figures reported in the downstream petroleum sector, from an average of 350 million litres per month in 2018 and 2019, to 450 million litres per month from 2020/2021.”
“This represents over a thirty- three per cent (33%) increase in volume reporting and an average of an extra 100 million litres per month at a levy rate of GHS1.44p. The extra revenue variance gained for the two (2) years will exceed GHS3 billion. This performance is attributable mainly to the introduction of ICUMS and SML systems,” it defended.
On January 2, the Presidency announced it had contracted international audit firm KPMG to audit transactions between the GRA and the SML.
