Director of Communication of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), has come to the defense of acting Board Chair of the Ghana Revenue Authority.

According to Yaw Buaben Asamoa, the processes leading to the lease of the property belonging to Adelaide Ahwireng, were “technical” and “not off the cuff” decision.

According to him, the Ghana Revenue Authority is too big to act in jest.

“The pricing was interrogated and it is sound price,” he insisted.

Madam Ahwireng’s decision to leass two properties to the Authority has raised questions of potential conflict of interest.

The Chairperson owns Fio Enterprise which rented out two buildings – a three-story duplex commercial building at Agbogboloshie and a two-story office accommodation at South Industrial Area, both in Accra, to the GRA.

Each of the properties has been leased for five years with one-year advance payment required.

The Agbogboloshie property was rented out March 1, 2018, and ends 2023. The GRA agreed to pay ¢49,035 per month, making ¢588,421 a year. The GRA also agreed to pay ¢117,765 annually for “Common Area Maintenance”.

The two-storey office accommodation at South Industrial Area was also leased to the GRA in June 2019 and lasts for five years.

The rent is 50,400 cedis per month or ¢604,800 per year. There is also a “Common Area Maintenance” fee of ¢120,000 per year.

Director of Communication of the NPP maintains that nothing untoward has happened.

According to Yaw Buaben Asamoa, at the time the transaction occurred the “the lady was not even a board chair” of the GRA.

He adds that “it is so painful” to “condemn Ghanaians who have done something for themselves and who are contributing to this economy.”

Mr. Asamoa who is also the MP for the Adentan constituency believes, the ongoing criticism is “not fair to the lady.”

According to the NPP scribe, Ghanaians “have a right to interrogate her” but that should be done “in a proper contest.”