'I don’t owe you any apology' – Ablakwa hits back at GRA

Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has responded to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) over a series of claims he made about Commissioner-General, Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Adu Owusu-Amoah.

The tax mobilization outfit demanded an apology for Ablakwa's claim that the GRA boss had absconded from the country amidst probe into a major corruption scandal the GRA is mentioned in.

A GRA statement refuted reports that Rev. Dr. Owusu-Amoah had absconded from Ghana and clarified that he was on a scheduled six-day leave, set to resume work on January 15, 2024.

The GRA labeled Ablakwa's assertions as a "malicious, sensational, misleading and deliberate attempt to damage the reputation" of the Commissioner-General and the GRA.

Ablakwa, however, remained resolute, stating in a rejoinder, "Let me assure the GRA that I do not owe them an apology, and they surely are not going to get one."

He maintained that the GRA's response failed to discredit the findings of his parliamentary oversight and criticized the circumstances surrounding the Commissioner-General's leave during the ongoing audit ordered by the president.

Highlighting the GRA's statement that Rev. Dr. Owusu-Amoah left Ghana on January 3, 2024, and is set to resume work on January 15, 2024, Ablakwa in a Facebook post questioned the legitimacy of describing it as a six-day leave, emphasizing that it coincides with the entire promised two-week audit period.

"The GRA release further states that Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah is on a 6-day leave and will resume work on January 15, 2024. This does not add up. The GRA Commissioner-General left Ghana on January 3, 2024 — a few hours after the January 2, 2024 presidential directive of a KPMG audit. Leaving Ghana on the 3rd of January, 2024 and resuming work on the 15th of January, 2024 which instructively is the entire period of the promised 2-weeks audit cannot be described as a 6-day leave," he stated.

Ablakwa accused the government of opting for deception and a cover-up instead of an honest and transparent investigation into the alleged $100 million SML scandal.

He concluded by asserting his commitment to constitutional oversight and transparency, stating, "Nothing will stop us from pursuing our constitutional mandate of parliamentary oversight. Forward ever, backward never! For God and Country. Ghana First."

Read Ablakwa's response below:

I have become aware of the GRA statement.

Let me assure the GRA that I do not owe them an apology, and they surely are not going to get one.

The GRA response abysmally fails to discredit the findings of my unimpeachable parliamentary oversight.

Consistent with the revelations I published, the GRA has only confirmed that Ghana is the only country in the world where the President orders a crucial audit into a ginormous scandal and the head of the organisation under audit is concurrently allowed to proceed on leave and assisted to travel out of the country during the said audit — absolutely incredulous!

Under another incorruptible President, this GRA boss would have been fired for daring to leave the jurisdiction during such a high profile national audit into the create, loot and share scheme he collaborated with Ken Ofori-Atta to perpetrate.

The GRA release further states that Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah is on a 6-day leave and will resume work on January 15, 2024. This does not add up. The GRA Commissioner-General left Ghana on January 3, 2024 — a few hours after the January 2, 2024 presidential directive of a KPMG audit. Leaving Ghana on the 3rd of January, 2024 and resuming work on the 15th of January, 2024 which instructively is the entire period of the promised 2-weeks audit cannot be described as a 6-day leave.

These bizarre developments and blatant official untruths are bound to happen when a corrupt government opts for deception and a grand cover-up instead of an honest, transparent and credible investigation into the US$100million SML scandal.

Nothing will stop us from pursuing our constitutional mandate of parliamentary oversight. Forward ever, backward never!

For God and Country.

Ghana First.

GA/SARA