GRA Demands Apology From Okudzeto Ablakwa, Media Over Claims Of Absconded Commissioner
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has vehemently refuted claims made by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, regarding the Commissioner-General, Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Adu Owusu-Amoah, allegedly fleeing the country amidst investigations into the SML (Strategic Mobilization Limited) contract.
In a rejoinder issued by the GRA, the authority demanded an apology from Ablakwa and the media for what they describe as a “total misrepresentation of facts.”
Ablakwa had alleged that less than 24 hours after President Akufo-Addo’s press statement announcing an urgent audit into the SML scandal, Rev. Dr. Owusu-Amoah and his family left Ghana.
The GRA, however, clarified that the Commissioner-General is currently on a scheduled six-day leave, which had been approved a month ago, and is expected to resume work on Monday, January 15, 2024.
The GRA’s statement emphasized that while on leave, Rev. Dr. Owusu-Amoah is diligently attending to every engagement required of him or GRA in the KPMG audit. The commissioner’s use of his ordinary Ghanaian passport was explained as consistent with his scheduled personal leave, rather than an official trip.
Read: Why Akufo-Addo And Finance Minister Should Resign – Kojo Yankson Explains
Management of the GRA characterized Ablakwa’s publication as a “malicious, sensational, misleading, and deliberate attempt to damage the reputation” of Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah and the GRA as a whole. The authority demanded an immediate retraction of the publication from all media platforms and unqualified apologies from Ablakwa and ghextractives.com.
The GRA reassured the public of its commitment to the mandate of revenue mobilization with integrity, fairness, and professionalism.
READ THE STATEMENT BY GRA BELOW:
REJOINDER
ABLAKWA WRITES: GRA BOSS “ABSCONDS” OVER
SML/GRA INVESTIGATIONS
The attention of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has been drawn to a Facebook post
by Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and an online publication by ghextractives.com on
Wednesday, January 10, 2024, captioned, “Ablakwa writes: GRA boss “absconds”
over SML/GRA investigations”.
Management of the GRA wishes to categorically state that, the Commissioner-General of
GRA, Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, has not absconded as stated in the said
publication.
The Commissioner-General is currently on a scheduled six (6) day leave which had been
approved a month ago. Rev. Dr. Owusu-Amoah will resume work on Monday, 15th
January, 2024. While on leave, every engagement that is required of him or GRA in the
Audit by KPMG is being diligently attended to either by himself or one of the
commissioners.
Management of the GRA finds the publication to be a total misrepresentation of facts. It
is a malicious, sensational, misleading and deliberate attempt to damage the reputation
of the Commissioner-General, Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah and the GRA as a
whole.
We hereby demand an immediate retraction of the said publication from all media
platforms and unqualified apologies from Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and
ghextractives.com for the misrepresentation of facts.
Management of GRA wishes to assure the public that we are committed to our mandate
of revenue mobilization with integrity, fairness and professionalism.
—End—
ISSUED BY;
COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC AFFAIR
