The Ahanta Traditional Council (ATC) has jumped to the defense of the embattled Council of State Member on the ticket of Western Region, Eunice Asomah Hinneh, saying she did nothing wrong to warrant the report issued by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) against her and the company she owns, Labianca.
Though the Council of State Member at the center of the tax evasion saga had already paid GHC 1million back into government coffers, as directed by the OSP, the ATC insists the lady who is from the traditional area, did nothing wrong.
The OSP had accused Madam Eunice Asomah Hinneh and her company, Labianca and ordered her to pay GHC 1,000,000 to government.
According to the OSP, the business lady had used her position, as then Board Member of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority to influence the Commissioner of Customs to obtain import waiver for her company.
But addressing a news conference in Takoradi yesterday, the ATC said it wouldn’t have been worried if the matter had ended up with the directive for the refund of the money involved in the said tax evasion.
“What is worrying and has caused us to come to you this morning is the disparaging part of the OSP report, which went further to state that the CEO of the company, Labianka, who is a member of the Council of State and one time Board Member of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, used her position to influence the Commissioner of Customs and the Director of GPHA to obtain the import concession for her company”.
Nana Etsin Kofi II, Divisional Chief of Ahanta Aboadi, who read the statement said, “this assertion by the Special Prosecutor we consider to be most unfortunate and regrettable” and, therefore, called on the SP to retract that portion contained in the report with urgency.
Clad in red and flanked by other chiefs, the Spokesperson explained that concessions were part and parcel of any economic planning and development globally and not only in Ghana.
He explained further that concessions were applied for and are considered before approval for the promotion of business in any economy and that granting concessions to the woman at the center of the drama was nothing new.
The Ahanta Aboade chief recollected that between 2015 and 2016, the same company benefitted from a similar concessionary facility as a company which imports over 200 40-footer containers of frozen foods.
Therefore, the attack on the Council of State member that she used her influence to secure the concession was not only an attack on her person, but a threat to business and investment from the private sector and on employment.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are conscious of certain elements or detractors who are trying to use the media for their parochial and selfish interest. There are other companies who are benefitting from around 122% tax rebate so why this attack on Labianca Company”?
The chiefs -Nana Ogudzi Essoun II of Kwesimintsim, Nana Bozza IX of Akatakyi and Nana Eziaku IV of Agona Ahanta, however, made a passionate appeal to the government for consideration, that she takes steps to reduce heavy taxes and duties for importation of goods for Ghanaian businesses in these challenging times.
They demanded that Tax exemptions given to foreign businesses and expatriates should equally be given to Ghanaian business owners.
They also pleaded that the Ministries of Trade and Industry and Finance engage Ghanaian businesses with innovative measures to help their business to grow in this hard time.
