…For endorsing Ken Ofori-Atta’s SML deal
The state of affairs at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and many revenue assurance scandals, are raising questions about the publicly acclaimed integrity of the Board Chairman, Tony Oteng-Gyasi and the Commissioner General of GRA, Reverend Dr Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah: a renowned industrialist and a pastor many expect to be principled to defend the country’s future.
However, the two gentlemen, are supervising what many consider the last heist of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta before leaving office at the end of the year, given that all attempts to get him sacked have failed.
In the wake of the scandal, the board and management of GRA, issued a statement to justify the Strategic Mobilization Limited (SML) transaction, but failed to convince the general public, hence the KPMG probe.
Now, the same people are attempting to reverse the decision of the President, Nana Akufo-Addo to investigate the SML transaction by insisting the state will lose revenue if the contract is suspended.
Intriguingly, the two gentlemen are considered highly moral and honest by some members of society, perhaps owed mainly to the inability to unmask them beyond their self-projections.
While, the SML transaction was receiving public scrutiny, the GRA Commissioner General who should have left office about two years ago, upon attainment of his mandatory retirement age of 60, was spotted holidaying outside the country with his family, completely ignoring the questions of the Ghanaian public.
On his return from the holiday, he wrote to the President in a letter dated January 16, 2024 to reconsider his decision to suspend the contract which has sparked a fresh wave of controversy.
Interestingly, a viral video circulating on social media captures the GRA Board Chair offering advice to the public.
Yet, ironically, he seems to have overlooked applying those principles to his actions. In the video, a speech delivered as part of the 75th anniversary of the University of Ghana, Dr Oteng-Gyasi, discusses the historical prevalence of procurement malpractices in Ghana, recounting a tale from 1963 involving the attempted corruption of Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
The story revolves around a businessman’s gift of a Mercedes Benz to the president, triggering an investigation that exposed a web of corruption involving high-profile individuals. This, according to the Chairman, represents one of the earliest instances of procurement fraud in Ghana.
Part of his video is transcribed as follows;
“The story of sometime in 1963 when a Ghanaian businessman arranged for a Mercedes Benz vehicle to be presented as a gift to Kwame Nkrumah at his official residence. The president was not amused and ordered for an investigation into the source of the wealth of his benefactor.
The investigation revealed that the donor, one HB, had made money in concert with the then Minister of Agriculture, a gentleman called FYA and one J.Q, also a businessman.
The businessman had sold German-made Machines meant for spraying cocoa farms to protect against block-pod disease and had made so much money that they wanted to present to the president an unforgettable gift.
There is nothing wrong with it. The problem was that the German vendor had originally approached the minister with an offer to sell the machines at a considerably lower price. The minister arranged with the businessmen to set up a company which became an agent and sold the machines at a much higher price to the government. They were prosecuted and convicted on May 10, 1965 of stealing £512”.
While, lauding Dr Nkrumah’s dedication to safeguarding public funds, the Chairman expresses dismay at the persistent failure of state representatives to protect Ghana’s interests, accusing some of engineering procurement schemes that undermine the nation. He advocates for applying game theory and optimisation techniques to counter current procurement abuses driven by complicity.
However, the irony lies in Dr Oteng-Gyasi’s recent involvement in the SML transaction, which is perceived by some as contradicting the principles he championed in his speech or he projected in years past.
The GRA Chairman’s impactful speech prompts scrutiny of his public life to assess his adherence to the principles he champions.
This scrutiny gains significance in light of his recent involvement, alongside Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta, in extending the Revenue Assurance contract of SML. The deal, which is estimated to bleed the nation over GH¢1.5 billion annually, has raised questions about his adherence to the principles of transparency and protecting national interests.
Despite the magnitude of the SML deal, reports indicate Dr Oteng-Gyasi’s support for it. This is evident in both his silence and the joint statement issued by the GRA Board and management endorsing the controversial transaction.
Furthermore, it is noted that Dr Oteng-Gyasi, has skillfully navigated the political landscape, earning positions in both the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the Mahama administration and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government of Akufo-Addo.
Under the NDC, he chaired the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) board, a role criticized for its perceived conflict of interest due to his position as the founder of Cable Metal, a major cable supplier to ECG. He later resigned from the position without offering any reason to Ghanaians.
Dr Oteng-Gyasi, however, popped up in the current NPP government, chairing the GRA Board, and overseeing numerous revenue assurance deals, despite the primary responsibility of the authority being to assure the government of revenue.
These aspects of the industrialist’s public life, paint a picture of a man advocating nationalism for all, but seemingly exempting himself.
To build trust among citizens, Dr Oteng-Gyasi, must address the clouds surrounding his public life, providing assurances that he can be entrusted with the stewardship of public resources. His silence is confusing many.
In his current role as GRA Board Chairman under the NPP government, Dr Oteng-Gyasi, faces questions about his oversight of revenue assurance deals and the primary responsibility of the authority to assure the government of revenue. The contradictions between his public statements on safeguarding public funds and his involvement in controversial financial transactions have raised concerns among citizens.
As calls for transparency grow, Dr Oteng-Gyasi’s response to these allegations and his commitment to the principles he advocates will likely shape public perception of his stewardship of public resources.
The state and management of the two top men at GRA raise concerns about public life generally and specifically who the champions of public interest are.
