Former editor-in-chief at the Fourth Estate and investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, has asked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to publish copies of the audit report by KPMG on the contract between Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) for public scrutiny.
The lead investigator in “The GH¢3bn Lie Documentary,” which unearthed suspicious dealings between the GRA and SML, Mr. Awuni, emphasised that government white papers have over the years failed to capture all aspects of reports the government receives, thus his call for the online publication of the original copy from KPMG.
Mr. Awuni spoke to Alfred Ocansey on Ghana Tonight, Wednesday, April 3, from Harvard University, USA.
He noted, amongst other things, that “normally when a government issues white papers, we know that the white paper may not necessarily reflect everything in the report.”
Manasseh maintained that “a political group or government” issues the white paper, making it less believable.
He continued, “It is normal for him [the President] to study it, but we all want to have a copy or copies of the report published so that we can scrutinise it because there’s already a lot of skepticism about whether or not the president is committed to doing something credible on it.”
He added that the president should replicate the previous NDC government in publishing the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Agency (GYEEDA) report publicly, in 2013.
The Harvard fellow said the report should be made public because “the issues are pretty well-known,” stressing that “KPMG, being ordered by the president, had more access than even the producer of “The GHC3 billion Lie Documentary.”
Also, the investigative journalist revealed that he is yet to be served with the SML defamatory suit, which the company announced in February this year.
Background
On December 18, 2023, the Fourth Estate released “The GH¢3bn Lie Documentary.” which accused SML of entering into a controversial 10-year contract with the Finance Ministry and the GRA.
Manasseh and his team petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to probe the contract.
However, the GRA affirmed that it has followed the right processes in procuring the services of SML.
On January 2, 2024, President Akufo-Addo directed the GRA to suspend the contract with SML. The president appointed KPMG to conduct an audit within two weeks, which was later extended to February 23, to submit its report to the president.
Meanwhile, SML sued the Fourth Estate and Manasseh Azure-Awuni for what it claims to be “defamatory and reckless” reports. SML said it was pursuing a total of GHC10 million in damages.
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