By Former Auditor-General Daniel Yaw Domelevo has condemned the choice of KPMG to audit the contract between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd (SML), labeling it as an illegal and unprofessional act.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo issued an order for KPMG to audit the contract between the two entities on January 2, 2024.
In response to the audit report submitted, a press statement from the Presidency on April 24 disclosed that “the total fees paid under the contracts from 2018 to the date of suspension amount to GH¢1,061,054,778.00.”
SML contested and refuted the claim that the company received GH¢1,061,054,778.00 in payment.
Reflecting on the contract, its suspension, and the subsequent audit, the former Auditor-General expressed his view that every aspect of it exhibited signs of illegality, corruption, and unprofessional conduct.
Mr. Domelevo informed Selorm Adonoo on The Big Issue on Citi FM and Citi TV that instructing KPMG to conduct the audit violated procurement regulations and hinted at a conflict of interest, as KPMG maintains ongoing contracts with both the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Ministry of Finance.
“I don’t see why KPMG accepted to do the audit because first and foremost, KPMG provides services to GRA and MOF [the Ministry of Finance] so they are conflicting but let’s put that aside because it is not a big deal. KPMG cannot accept an illegal contract from the government. The contract under which KPMG was selected to go and provide the service should have been a competitive selection process.
“If the KPMG contract did not go through the public procurement process, that is either through competitive tendering or approval from the Public Procurement Board, then they have entered into an illegal contract and that is illegal and unprofessional.”
The former Auditor-General added that “It is necessary for us to know how KPMG was selected and there are some state agencies that could have done the work and the law under Clause 8 of Article 187, the 1992 Constitution provides that the president on advice from the Council of State, may in the national interest, request the Auditor General to conduct some audits and so why didn’t this go to do the Auditor General?”
