The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has described the contract awarded to Strategic Mobilization Ghana Limited (SML) as unlawful and of no benefit to the country.

According to him, an assessment of the report by KPMG revealed that half of the profit made in the downstream petroleum sector was paid to SML as fees for the services rendered in auditing the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

In this regard, he argued that these illegal transactions are "duplicitous, needless, and inimical to the interest of our dear nation as they have occasioned huge financial losses to the State."

Speaking at NDC’s latest Moments of Truth series on April 29, he said “It is an indisputable fact, that the transaction audit, external price verification and downstream petroleum audit contracts entered into between the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government and SML, are unlawful.

“The NDC is of the considered view, that these illegal transactions, are duplicitous, needless, and inimical to the interest of our dear nation.

“Thus, the payments that have been made by the corrupt Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government to SML under these unlawful transactions, totaling GH¢1,061,054,778, are illegal.”

Mr Gyamfi stressed that despite enough findings available to the government to terminate the contract, it allows SML to continue auditing but "merely recommends the termination of the other unlawful contracts."

As such, the party believes that the establishment and operation of SML in 2017 was planned by individuals in power.

“This is the greatest abetment of crime yet again by the ruling New Patriotic Party, and goes to fortify our suspicions that this scandal was cooked at the highest echelons of power.

He added that the government's refusal to publish the full KPMG report about these contracts and the fact that they continue to use SML's services for the illegal downstream petroleum audits prove that there was a plot to hide the truth about these deals.

Mr Gyamfi argued that the government's actions are indicative of the widespread corruption and dishonest behaviour that has been prevalent during President Akufo-Addo's tenure.

“Ghanaians are faced with an unprecedented economic crises and excruciating hardships, the least duty-bearers can do is to use the meager resources of the country judiciously and for the benefit of the people. Yet, the NPP continues to plunder the national coffers with brazen impunity.

“The colossal amount of money which has been doled out to SML under their illegal contracts, by the nation-wrecking Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government, could have been invested in social infrastructure or job creation ventures or education, healthcare delivery or other productive sectors, to improve the livelihoods of suffering Ghanaians,” he said.