Ablakwa Alleges Hired Private Jet That Conveyed Adwoa Sarfo For E-levy Vote Cost GHC948,500

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has drawn public attention, particularly the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), to the cost of the hired private jet that conveyed the MP for Dome Kwabenya constituency, Sarah Adwoa Sarfo to Ghana to partake in voting in favour of the government’s Electronic Transfer Levy.

He averred that a Gulfstream G-550 registered HB-JOE, operated by Premium Jet A-G and based in Belgium is the executive aircraft that ferried the female MP.

“It costs US$4,800 an hour to rent the HB-JOE”, he said.

Ablakwa noted that “With an 11-hour flight distance, payment of reposition fees (as it flew from Belgium to pick her up in the States), payment of one-way fees (as the business jet flies back home empty), the crew per diem fees, landing and wait-time fees; it costs a staggering US$140,000. At today’s exchange rate, that is GHS948, 500.

Ablakwa described it as dubious and claimed that the flight cost was paid by her friends and government-funded.

“Who are these Friends? What is their motivation? Why do these friends want the unpopular E-levy passed so badly? What do these friends expect in return? What are the tax records of these friends? Why are these friends being shielded?”, he asked.

He added that the Office of the Special Prosecutor should not only investigate the GHC120,000 desired into her account but also that of the hired private jet as well.

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini