Former Director-General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Samuel Awuku, has criticised The Fourth Estate over what he described as a “fundamental and deliberate error” in its recent investigation.

The Akuapem North MP accused the outlet of conflating strategic marketing sponsorships with the funds of the NLA Good Causes Foundation.

In a rebuttal, the Akuapem North MP expressed disappointment that, despite granting the outlet an interview on August 18, 2025, the final publication was, in his words, “a lopsided story that omits the significant impact made by the Foundation.”

He argued that the report’s central claims stemmed from a misrepresentation of the NLA’s operational structure.

Awuku clarified that the NLA Caritas Lottery Platform, established under the National Lotto Act, serves as the Authority’s revenue-generating arm.

“The NLA Caritas Platform has Corporate Ghana as its primary stakeholder,” he explained. Sponsorships for high-profile events such as the Africa Prosperity Dialogue and the Ghana CEO Summit, he noted, were therefore marketing initiatives aimed at drawing key industry players to the Authority.

“The association with these brands brought several benefits to the NLA, including increased brand awareness and visibility, which helped the Authority pitch its brand to industry leaders for collaborations. These collaborations generated revenue for the Caritas Lottery Platform, which in turn funds the Good Causes Foundation,” he said.

According to Awuku, this strategy transformed the Caritas Platform from a negligible base into a revenue stream that generated over GHS 11 million between 2021 and 2024.

He dismissed the investigative report as an act of “mischief” intended to mislead the public by blurring the distinction between revenue-generation activities and the charitable disbursements they enable.