The Ghana Revenue Authority has debunked claims made by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, that its Commissioner-General absconded following President Nana Akufo-Addo’s directives for an investigation into the GRA and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) revenue assurance contract.
The North Tongu MP, on his Facebook page on Wednesday, January 10, claimed that GRA’s Commissioner-General, Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, fled the country with his nuclear family less than twenty-four hours after the president called for investigations to be conducted.
But the GRA, in a January 11 statement, explained that the Commissioner-General is currently on leave which was approved almost a month ago and that he is expected back in the office on January 15.
“Management of the GRA wishes to categorically state that, the Commissioner-General of GRA, Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, has not absconded as stated in the said publication.”
“The Commissioner-General is currently on a scheduled six (6) day leave which had been approved a month ago. Rev. Dr. Owusu-Amoah will resume work on Monday, 15th January 2024. While on leave, every engagement that is required of him or GRA in the Audit by KPMG is being diligently attended to either by himself or one of the commissioners.”
President Akufo-Addo on January 2 ordered the immediate suspension of the revenue assurance contract signed between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilization Ghana Ltd (SML) and appointed the audit, tax, and advisory services firm, KPMG, to conduct an immediate audit of the transaction.
GRA’s statement described Ablakwa’s allegations as misrepresentation of facts and malicious and demanded an apology from him.
“Management of the GRA finds the publication to be a total misrepresentation of facts. It is a malicious, sensational, misleading and deliberate attempt to damage the reputation of the Commissioner-General, Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah and the GRA as a whole.
“We hereby demand an immediate retraction of the said publication from all media platforms and an unqualified apology from Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and ghextractives.com for the misrepresentation of facts.”
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