Gov’t is happy SSNIT hotel scandal, KPMG report are breathing because NDC is after AG – Bridget Otoo claims

Prominent social media personality, Bridget Otoo, has alleged that the government must be pleased with the recent developments in the Ambulance case involving the Minority Leader Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and the state, being represented by the Attorney General Godfred Dame.

She believes that the controversy surrounding the case has provided the government breathing space from the public with regard to the KPMG audit report by President Nana Akufo-Addo over the deal between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) and the ongoing sale of SSNIT hotels to Member of Parliament for Abetifi Constituency, Bryan Acheampong.

“The government must be happy with the NDC’s focus on the AG. I mean, SSNIT hotel scandal is now breathing and SML KPMG full report is also breathing,” she wrote in a post on X on May 29.

Ambulance case

Dr. Ato Forson, a former Deputy Finance Minister, is facing trial for his alleged involvement in the procurement of faulty ambulances for Ghana. This case has sparked public conversations, with some individuals calling for the Attorney General’s resignation.

The Attorney General insisted that Jakpa had sent letters requesting a plea bargain, which had not been accepted. However, the NDC countered these claims by playing a tape during a press conference on Tuesday, May 28. The NDC General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, stated that Jakpa never requested a plea bargain.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has stated that the alleged audio tape involving Attorney General Godfred Dame and Richard Jakpa, the third accused in the ambulance case, released by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has been tampered with.

At a press conference on Tuesday, May 28, NPP National Organizer Henry Nana Boakye (Nana B) described the tape as distorted and manipulated, claiming it was “cut and pieced together” by the NDC to create a misleading impression.

KPMG Audit

The release of the KPMG audit report by President Nana Akufo-Addo comes in response to weeks of mounting pressure from the public and civil society organizations for transparency regarding the contentious contract.

The President commissioned KPMG to audit the contract on January 2, 2024, with an initial deadline of January 16, 2024, later extended to February 23, 2024.

The report revealed tax evasion by the company, contracts awarded without PPA and Parliamentary approval.

SSNIT

Organised Labour has voiced concerns over the ongoing divestiture of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) shares in four hotels to Rock City Hotel, owned by Bryan Acheampong, the Minister of Agriculture.

The group has urged the government to halt the process, warning of a potential nationwide strike by workers if the divestiture proceeds.

SSNIT is close to finalizing the sale of 60% of its shares in Labadi Beach Hotel, LA Palm Royal Beach Resort, Ridge Royal Hotel, and Elmina Beach Resort to Rock City Hotel.

This move has sparked widespread criticism, prompting North Tongu MP Okudzeto Ablakwa to file a petition with the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).