Apologise or I'll advise myself – Adei warns Mahama on GRA 'criminality' claims

The Board Chairman of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Prof Stephen Adei, has described as false, a claim by former President John Mahama that the former rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) connived with Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to do some criminal things at the Authority.

The presidential candidate of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) told the Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, in an interview on Saturday, 28 November 2020 that: “Some of these things have been very criminal and I’m surprised that Prof. Adei as Chairman of GRA could connive to do something as criminal as this”.

In a rejoinder, however, Prof Adei said: “To allege criminality and impinge on my integrity as a citizen with unblemished career as an economist, diplomat, former Rector, Emeritus Professor of Leadership and Economics as well as one who is an ethically-not-ashamed-born-again Christian, theologian and preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ is most unfortunate, John. And to do so taking advantage of social media is regrettable”.

“I, therefore, seek an unqualified apology from H. E. John Dramani Mahama, or I will advise myself after December 7, as I would not like to distract him from his seemingly desperate effort to win the forthcoming elections by any means”, he said.

Read Prof Adei’s full statement below:

PRESS STATEMENT BY PROF EMERITUS STEPHEN ADEI ON STATEMENT BY PRESENTIAL JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA REGARDING GRA

My attention has been drawn to the statement on GhanaWeb and also published on other media platforms with references below attributed to His Excellency John Dramani Mahama to the effect that I connived with the Honourable Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta to use criminal means to close revenue gap of GRA in 2019 in an exclusive interview with Kwesi Pratt Jnr. in Tamale.

The NDC presidential candidate alleged, and I quote: “Some of these things have been very criminal and I’m surprised that Prof. Adei, as Chairman of GRA, could connive to do something as criminal as this.”

I, Emeritus Professor Stephen Adei wish to state that THE ALLEGATION IS UNTRUE, FALSE, MALICIOUS AND UNBEFITTING OF SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN A HEAD OF STATE AND SEEKING THE MANDATE OF GHANAIANS FOR ANOTHER TERM IN THE HIGH OFFICE OF PRESIDENT.

To allege criminality and impinge on my integrity as a citizen with unblemished career as an economist, diplomat, former Rector, Emeritus Professor of Leadership and Economics as well as one who is an ethically-not-ashamed-born-again Christian, theologian and preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ is most unfortunate, John. And to do so taking advantage of social media is regrettable.

I, therefore, seek an unqualified apology from H. E. John Dramani Mahama, or I will advise myself after December 7, as I would not like to distract him from his seemingly desperate effort to win the forthcoming elections by any means.

With regard to the alleged payment of GH?15,000,00 and above for people to get jobs at GRA, if H, E. Mahama has any evidence to that effect, I will like to receive the information and I can assure him that culprits will be dealt with surgically according to law by the Board and Management of GRA.

GRA has ranked among the topmost corrupt institutions in Ghana under his regime and in the recent past and it is the avowed objective of the leadership of the Authority to do our best to mitigate the phenomenon for “God, Family and Country”.

I trust that the media houses in all fairness will give the same level of publicity to this rejoinder as they did to the scandalous statements of H.E. John Dramani Mahama