Akufo Addo’s Statement on GRA/SML Deal is Just a Cover Up of Criminality.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC), has accused the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government of attempted cover-up of corruption and criminality in the raging SML matter.
Addressing a Moment of Truth press conference in Accra on Monday National Communication Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi stated that all the transactions that were carried out by SML under its transaction audit, downstream petroleum and external price verification contracts are illegal, null and void and of no legal effect.
He explained that these single-sourced contracts did not receive the approval of the GRA board, nor Parliamentary approval as multi-year contracts as required under section 33 of the Public Financial Management Act.
This, the party says renders all payments to SML illegal and a financial loss to the state.
It would be recalled that the Presidency last week released a report detailing the President’s directives on recommendations of a yet to be published KPMG investigation. The report identified breaches of several laws involving contracts between the Ministry of Finance, the Ghana Revenue Authority on one hand and the SML, on the other hand.
But the NDC believe the President fell short of calling for the cancellation of these agreements.
The communication from the Presidency appears to embrace findings by KPMG that the services rendered by SML have helped to save the country some GH₵3 billion. The report further notes that the State has benefited from the downstream petroleum audit services of SML due to an increase in petroleum volumes by 1.7 billion litres and tax revenue to the State to the tune of GH₵2.45 billion.
The NDC finds these claims by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government as an attempt at grand cover-up of the sins of persons behind the scandal, since no evidence points to any work done by SML.
The NDC reiterated a recent promise by its flag-bearer and leader, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, to abrogate the illegal contracts between the Government of Ghana and SML, should the party win the 2024 general elections.
The party says it will launch credible and transparent investigations to retrieve all illegal payments made to SML and prosecute all persons who are complicit in these illegal transactions.
Source:NewsFlashAfrica.Com
