A group calling itself ‘Friends of Colonel (Rtd) Kwadwo Damoah’ based in Jaman North Constituency of Bono Region have appealed to President Akufo-Addo to re-appoint Col. Damoah, former head of Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
According to them, Col. Damoah should be appointed to a similar or higher position else his dismissal from office shall negatively affect the fortunes of the NPP in the constituency and the region going into the 2024 general elections.
“We want to put it on record that his exit will affect the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo and Ashanti Regions going into the 2024 elections,” convener of the group, Tachie Hayford said.
The group, whose members consist of NPP supporters and constituency executives, at a press conference held at Drobo, the Jaman North District capital, said the decision by the government has saddened and demoralized them.
Mr. Hayford said President Akufo-Addo rushed in his decision to ask Col. Damoah to hand over his office due to the findings levelled against him by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
He noted that President Akufo-Addo should have allowed the OSP to conclude his investigation into the allegation against Col. Damoah with regard to Labianca and other issues that the OSP has called for books, saying if any wrongdoing is established against him, then a court action can be brought against him.
The group maintained that the grounds on which OSP accused the retired colonel is against section 12 of the Customs Act, Act 891, 2015, which allows importers and exporters to ask for tax reduction.
“Colonel Damoah was not asked to hand over his office on grounds of non-performance or corruption-related issue, but rather it was a studious and covert action by some top ranking government officials who could not simply tolerate his high disciplinary and moral standards in his work as a commissioner for GRA,” he said.
