ASEPA Petitions Akufo-Addo To Sack Council Of State Member Over LaBianca Scandal

Pressure group, the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to sack Eunice Jacqueline Buah Asomah-Hinneh as a member of the Council of State.

The Executive Director for ASEPA, Mensah Thompson, said the President should follow the provisions in Article 89(6) of the constitution to terminate her appointment.

“We deem the allegations very seriously and for the fact that, the OSP has conducted investigations and has come out with a report leading to the refund of money, it means that the case has moved from mere allegations to a matter of substance. So based on this, we have petitioned the President requesting the termination of Madam Asomah-Hinneh as a member of the council of state on grounds of stated misbehaviour.”

Mrs. Asomah-Hinneh, who owns Labianca Company and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), has been accused of allegedly using her position to get a favourable decision from the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

These led to a reduction in her company’s tax liabilities.

The OSP in its investigative report accused Ms Asomah-Hinneh of influence-peddling for allegedly using her position as a member of the Council of State and member of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to get a favourable decision from the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), which led to a reduction in the tax liabilities of Labianca Limited.

The OSP faulted a Deputy Commissioner of Customs in charge of Operations, Joseph Adu Kyei, for issuing what it described as unlawful customs advance ruling which reduced the benchmark values of the frozen foods imported by Labianca Limited, thereby reducing the company’s tax obligations to the state, reports Graphic Online’s Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson.

“The OSP finds that there is strong evidence to suggest that Mr Kyei’s decision to issue a customs advance ruling for the applicant was procured through influence peddling or trading of influence by Ms Asomah-Hinneh by employing her position as a member of the Council of State and member of the Board of Directors of the GPHA,” the report, signed by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, stated.