The lead investigator in the Fourth Estate’s recent investigation into the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilization Limited (SML) deal, Manasseh Azure Awuni, has questioned President Akufo-Addo’s directive for audit firm KPMG to audit the deal instead of an investigation.
Mr Azure’s comments come on the back of the President’s directive for the Ministry of Finance to suspend the deal and allow KPMG to conduct an audit into the circumstances surrounding the deal.
Speaking to Alfred Ocansey, host of Ghana Tonight on TV3 on Tuesday, January 2, Mr. Azure cast doubt on the end game of the President’s directive.
“It is interesting the Presidency is taking action but this action brings to the fore a number of questions.” This, he said, is because this is not the first time the Presidency has taken action into his investigative projects citing for instance “The Contract for Sale” documentary.
“In 2019 when I did Contract for Sale, a day after the story broke the President [Nana Akufo-Addo] first suspended the CEO of the Public Procurement Authority, then referred the matter to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), and also the Office of the Special Prosecutor to investigate,” he told Alfred Ocansey.
“CHRAJ finished its investigation and based on the findings the President [Nana Akufo-Addo] dismissed the then CEO of the Public Procurement Authority, Adjenim Boateng Adjei, and then later on the OSP under the leadership of Kissi Agyebeng, there was further investigation and as we speak the CEO of the Public Procurement Authority and the brother-in-law are standing trial in the court of law,” the former editor-in-chief at the Fourth Estate stated.
“So the question is why is the President asking for an audit instead of an investigation this time? Why KPMG and not the OSP which already working on this and why not the CHRAJ as in the past?” Mr. Azure quizzed.
Mr. Azure however commended the Presidency for taking an interest in the matter while hoping that the Finance Ministry would be roped into the investigations.
“I must say it is commendable that the presidency is taking an interest in this matter”, Mr. Azure said, adding, “The press release [from the Presidency] talks about the contract between GRA and SML but the contract is actually signed between the Ministry of Finance and GRA on one hand, and then SML on the other hand.”
Mr. Azure pointed out that the Ministry of Finance should not be left out even though the Ministry “has been silent since the story broke.”
“…if you read the GRA’s reaction it actually said that the GRA was directed by the Finance Ministry to enter into this arrangement so that is one thing to note,” Manasseh added.
GRA/SML deal suspended
President Akufo-Addo on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, directed the audit of the controversial GRA/SML deal as well as the suspension of the performance of the contract.
The statement from the Presidency signed by the Director of Communications, Eugene Arhin, among other things, appointed audit firm KPMG to conduct an audit to “ascertain the rationale or needs assessment performed prior to the contract approval by GRA, and assess how the arrangement aligns with specific needs.”
Read the full Statement below
