In the wake of the unfolding SML/GRA scandal, a cloud of suspicion hangs over the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government as the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Adu Owusu-Amoah, and his entire family allegedly made a hasty exit from the country less than 24 hours after President Akufo-Addo’s announcement of an urgent audit into the controversial SML contract.
These allegations were raised by Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
According to the MP, the timeline of events raises eyebrows, prompting calls for a sincere explanation from President Akufo-Addo regarding the circumstances surrounding Owusu-Amoah’s departure. The revelation, made by investigative sources, indicates that on January 3, 2024, less than a day after the presidential statement, Owusu-Amoah, accompanied by his nuclear family, left Ghana on TAP Air Portugal flight TP 1527, bound for São Tomé and Príncipe.
What adds intrigue to the situation is the fact that the GRA boss used his ordinary Ghanaian passport, issued on June 14, 2019, with the last four digits 5283, rather than his Service Passport with 2702 as its last four digits, which was specifically issued to him as GRA Commissioner-General on October 3, 2019. This decision raises questions about the nature of his trip and whether it was officially sanctioned.
In the aftermath of the exposé, President Akufo-Addo tasked KPMG with conducting a comprehensive audit into the scandal, setting a two-week deadline for the submission of recommendations. However, the sudden departure of the individual under scrutiny poses serious questions about the effectiveness of the investigation.
“President Akufo-Addo must immediately offer a sincere explanation to Ghanaians on the circumstances under which the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Adu Owusu-Amoah 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.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
The revelation has sparked accusations of a potential cover-up, with critics arguing that the government’s claims of a thorough investigation into the SML scandal are nothing but a smokescreen. With KPMG having only about six days left to complete its report, the departure of the GRA Commissioner-General raises concerns about the feasibility of a comprehensive and unbiased audit.
According to Samuel Okudzoto Ablakwa, sources close to Owusu-Amoah suggest that he has expressed reservations about returning to Ghana.
“Painstaking investigations further reveal that Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Adu Owusu-Amoah has told a few very close friends and allies that he will never return to Ghana, particularly after realizing that there’s an elaborate scheme to make him a scapegoat following Manasseh Azure Awuni’s brilliant SML exposé — even though according to Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Adu Owusu-Amoah, he only carried out the wishes of the same notorious looting cabal.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
NDC Demands Urgent Inquiry
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Caucus in Parliament has demanded an urgent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Owusu-Amoah’s departure. The NDC aims to identify and sanction any conspirators who facilitated his exit despite the presidential assurance of a high-stakes KPMG audit. The NDC is committed to unraveling the truth behind the silence, potential deception, and any attempted cover-up.
As Ghanaians grapple with these revelations, calls for accountability and transparency in the handling of the SML scandal are growing louder. The credibility of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government is on the line, and citizens are expressing their determination to use their voting power in the upcoming elections to usher in a new era and rid the nation of what they perceive as a government marred by endless monumental embarrassments.
Ghanaians are uniting with the resolve to demand answers, accountability, and a government that prioritizes the welfare and integrity of the nation. The SML scandal has become a litmus test for the leadership’s commitment to justice and transparency, and only time will tell whether the government can weather this storm of public scrutiny.
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