Dr. Arthur Kobina Kennedy, a physician, author, and politician affiliated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has voiced concerns about potential concealment by the government regarding the contract between Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
He suggests that the lack of transparency surrounding the contract may be an attempt to hide any irregularities and negative consequences it might have on the Ghanaian populace.
Dr. Arthur contends that regardless of any perceived advantages the contract may offer the state, its validity is in question due to alleged illegalities in its signing.
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During an interview on JoyNews’ AM Show on Friday, April 26, Dr. Arthur Kennedy emphasized the importance of the government releasing the complete KPMG audit report to the public.
In his view, the transparency of making the report public would enable Ghanaians to grasp the underlying issues and comprehend the extent of the impact on the State.
Dr. Kennedy stressed the crucial role of transparency in governance, especially regarding public funds and contracts. He urged the government to prioritize accountability by providing essential information to the public. This, he believes, is crucial for ensuring that citizens are well-informed about decisions directly affecting them.
Dr. Arthur reiterated the importance of transparency and urged the government to investigate any irregularities in the SML-GRA contract for the benefit of all Ghanaians.
“It appears that the government is trying to hide something. The fundamentals of this are clear and the contracts were awarded illegally and regardless what benefits have been accrued, it begs the question of why, regardless of the official disapproval, people went round the processes and awarded the contract.”
“Of course, a contract can be awarded improperly to somebody who might deliver some benefits when for example the terms of the contract were inimical to the public interest. And I think that the best thing the government can do is actually to release the KPMG report so that the public can we review that,” he said.
KPMG, a well-respected auditing firm, has concluded its report on the contract between GRA and SML and has presented it to President Akufo-Addo.
The audit was instigated by the President on January 2, 2024, in response to an expose by the media. Originally slated for completion by Tuesday, January 16, 2024, the audit deadline was later extended to Friday, February 23, 2024, due to unforeseen circumstances.
According to the audit findings, SML has received a total of GH¢1,061,054,778.00 since 2018 while fulfilling its obligations partially. SML has challenged that finding, claiming however that the report in general justifies the contract.