GRA-SML deal: I don’t think KPMG’s audit will yield any results – Dafeamekpor

South Dayi Member of Parliament, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, has said that the selection of an accounting and auditing firm, KPMG by the President to audit the contract between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) will not yield any results.

To him, KPMG’s appointment was not in accordance with the law in view of the fact that the Finance Committee of Parliament was already scrutinizing the agreement.

“I don’t think the directive will yield any results.,” he said Saturday, January 6. He added, “KPMG has not been appointed in accordance with the law.”

Several analysts including Former Auditor-General Daniel Domelevo have also rejected the president’s directive to KPMG.

Mr Domelevo said the directive would further waste public resources. In the view of Mr Domelevo, state agencies such as the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the Audit Service are capable of doing a better job than KPMG.

When he was asked for his views on the directive on Wednesday, January 3, Mr Domelevo said “It is not necessary, it is a further waste of public funds, because there are several anti-corruption agencies in the country. First, we have the EOCO, we have the OSP and if it is a matter of audit we have the Ghana Audit Service or the Office of the Auditor-General.

“If you read Article 187 Clause 8 of the Constitution, it says that in the national interest the President, upon advice from the Council of State may ask the Auditor-General to conduct audits.

“So such audits can be done better by the Auditor-General instead of the KPMG.

“So my initial reaction is that this is a further wastage of public resources which must be avoided.”