?1.2bn Tax Evasion at Ghanair

Chronicle's ongoing investigations into the state of affairs in the Ghana Airways (Ghanair) have uncovered series of questionable acts and administrative deficiencies under the former Chief Executive Mr. E.C Quartey Jnr., which have plunged the national air carrier into serious financial crisis.

Between Quartey Jnr. and Mr. Tim Stevens, Deputy Chief Executive (DCE) Business Development, the nation lost about ?1.2 billion through salary tax evasion.

Also some valuable documents containing the records of the company's fleet of aircraft could not be traced, after Quartey's resignation in February, this year.

It has now been established that Ghanair posted over $100million loss for 1999/2000 operational year.

In spite of the huge salaries they enjoyed, Quartey ensured that no income tax was deducted from his monthly salary for the four years that he was Ghanair CEO and that of Stevens for his two years in office as DCE.

Quartey Jnr. was on a monthly salary of $7,000 which is ?49millions, using ?7,000 exchange rate for the dollar, while Tim Stevens was on $6,000 salary which is ?42 million at ?7,000, per dollar exchange rate.

To outwit the nation on their tax obligations both Quartey's and Stevens' monthly salaries were prepared on Petty Cash Vouchers (PCVs).

Through the use of PCVs even internal auditors were kept in the dark as to what was happening in the company, Chronicle learnt.

For the four years that Quartey was in office, he evaded over ?16million tax in his monthly salary and at the end of his four years term he had hit ?700million mark, using the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax structure for 1997 - 2000.

This was 5 per cent Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) funds is deducted from his salaries. Quartey's partner, Tim Stevens, whose appointment as DCE, (Business Development) was shrouded in secrecy, also clocked about ?400million. Surprisingly Chronicle's sources at Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) indicated that Tim Stevens did not have a working permit to work there.

He was brought into the country by Quartey Jnr. about three years ago as a Consultant to Ghanair, under a company called Aviation Solutions (AS) but the circumstance under which he became a DCE in the troubled national air carrier is a lurking question which can only be handled by Quartey.

After he was employed, Tim Stevens allegedly teamed up with Quartey to establish Aviation Solutions Gh Ltd, which was more of a subsidiary of Ghanair, as sources indicated that the staff of the company were drawing their salaries from Ghanair's headoffice on the orders of Tim Stevens.

For more than a month now the Public Relations outfit of Ghanair has failed to respond to questions filed to them by the Chronicle, after they had demanded a questionnaire from this reporter.

The whereabouts of the valuable documents on the company's fleet of aircraft are a mystery, Chronicle learnt. A top board member was quoted as saying at a staff durbar last month that he had tried but to no avail, to get the documents covering the records of the company's aircraft.

Credible sources at Ghanair confirmed the story when they spoke last week to the Chronicle on condition of anonymity about the evasion of tax by Quartey and Tim Stevens.

Another issue that continues to attract agitation is the role of a Mr. Kofi Amissah and Mr. Roger Allotey, the Dusseldorf area manager.

Since the arrival of Quartey Jnr, in London last month the two gentlemen have been shuttling between Brussels, Dusseldorf and Accra on alleged errands of the resigned Quartey Jnr.

They are said to be frequenting Sky Jet offices in Brussels, where Ghanair has leased one of its DC10 aircraft at an astronomical $ 1million per month even though the said lease has turned out to be a liability. Meanwhile, Chronicle still awaits a reply to its questionnaire sent to the company more than a month ago.