A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) known for his roles as a physician, author, and politician, Dr. Arthur Kobina Kennedy, has raised concerns about the potential government concealment of details regarding the contract between Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
Dr. Kennedy suspects that the lack of transparency surrounding the contract is meant to hide any illegalities and negative impacts it may have on the Ghanaian people.
He argues that regardless of any perceived benefits, the contract should be considered invalid due to its alleged illegal signing.
During an interview on JoyNews’ AM Show on Friday, April 26, Dr. Kennedy called on the government to release the full KPMG audit report on the contract to the public. He believes that this transparency would help Ghanaians understand the issues at hand and how the state has been affected.
Emphasizing the importance of transparency in governance, especially concerning public funds and contracts, Dr. Kennedy urged the government to prioritize accountability and provide the necessary information to the public. This, he said, would ensure that citizens are informed about decisions that directly impact them.
Dr. Kennedy reiterated the need for openness and urged the government to address 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 reputable auditing firm, has completed and presented its report on the contract between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) to President Akufo-Addo.
The audit was initiated by the President on January 2, 2024, following an expose by the 4th Estate. Initially scheduled to be concluded by Tuesday, January 16, 2024, the deadline was extended to Friday, February 23, 2024.
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 this finding, claiming that the report, in general, justifies the contract.