Appointments Committee Vetting of Minister for Defence Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah (3)

Rickett-Hagan: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I did say I would ask one question, so I’ll stick to that. I know that we’ll have opportunity in the future to have more constructive and progressive discussions on military funding in this country. I know you do well. I wish you well. God bless you. Thank you.

Chairman: Thank you very much. I now proceed to give the floor to the ranking member and the minority leader.

Alexander Afenyo-Markin, MP, Effutu: Honourable nominee, thank you for spending time with us for this vetting. Please, let’s go to page three of your CV. Please, can I proceed? Please, you have the leadership positions held, and the last on the list, if you may read it aloud. You may read the last one aloud. Proceed.

Omane Boamah: Yeah. President Cadet Commandery 403 of Knights of St. John International, 1994 to 1996.

Afenyo-Markin: Are you a member of this, the Knights of St. John’s order?

Omane Boamah: I was part of the Cadet Commandery. That is the younger ones, but I didn’t progress to the senior level.

Afenyo-Markin: So, let’s stay there a bit. At that level, was it a fraternity of the Catholic order, the Knights of St. John? Was it a fraternal order?

Omane Boamah: It is an association in the Catholic Church, just like we have the Charismatic Renewal, just like we have Knights of Marshall, just like we have St. Vincent de Paul. Knights of St. John is also an association within the Catholic Church. So, it’s a fraternal order within the Church.

Afenyo-Markin: That’s fair enough. Fair enough. So, in that order, in that society, what were you taught?

Omane Boamah: At the cadet level, we were taught discipline, being time conscious, values of Christianity, fellow feeling, love for one another. And the military drills that we went through, because it’s a paramilitary society that we went through, also helped to shape us. We also had a lot of drama events that we performed at St. George Cathedral. And it also helped us, even a public speaking-wise.

We also went on programmes where people from different commanderies came together. We all met at Asamankese, that time the Accra and the Koforidua dioceses. We all came together as young people and served God, learned a lot, engaged in quizzes, and also played together.

Afenyo-Markin: You would agree with me that membership was not open to everybody.

Omane Boamah: So long as you are a Catholic and you fall within that age bracket, it’s open to you. When you mature, you then can move to the senior level. And it’s something that one day I will progress into.

Afenyo-Markin: Is there a process of initiation to enable you to join at the senior level?

Omane Boamah: At the senior level?

Afenyo-Markin: Yes.

Omane Boamah: I haven’t joined, so I’m unable to tell.

Afenyo-Markin: How would you react to a person who does not know about the value system in the Knight of St. John and denigrate same, how would you react?

Omane Boamah: Knight of St. John, we are taught the values of Christ, Christ-like tolerance. And so, we would take such criticisms in our stride. And if there’s an opportunity to educate them, like this huge platform is giving me the opportunity to share what we were taught, I would definitely share such thoughts with such a person.

Afenyo-Markin: You agree with me that those who do not belong to this society and this order would not know the tenets of this order, correct? You need to belong to know. If you are not a member, you wouldn’t know. You agree with me?

Omane Boamah: Unless you are a medical doctor, you are not likely to know the nitty-gritties of what we do.

Afenyo-Markin: I want to be very short with you. Just like Dafeamekpor, my respected classmate said, just go straight to the point because I know some of you guys are anxious. I would be as short as possible with you if you just stayed to the course. What I’m saying is that those who are not members of this fraternity within the Catholic Church would not know a tenet, correct?

Omane Boamah: They would know some of them, but not all.

Afenyo-Markin: Let me stay there briefly with you. It is not open to everybody, correct? Outside of the church. You must first be a Catholic. And being a Catholic, you must elect to be part of it. It’s not the only society in the Catholic Church. So, if you are not a member of that society, you wouldn’t know its value system and practises. You would agree with me?

Omane Boamah: Because we do membership drive, we share some of these value systems. And I remember even those days in Pope John.

Afenyo-Markin: So, my point is that if you are not a member or if you have not had the benefit of knowing the values of the society, you wouldn’t know.

Omane Boamah: Exactly.

Afenyo-Markin: That’s the point. Okay. Let me understand you on your employment history. Page 2 of your CV. Let me know when you get there. You there. So, item 2. You didn’t number it, but the point 2. Policy Advisor and Political Strategist to President John Dramani Mahama, 2017-2024. Were you on salary? Were you paid?

Omane Boamah: (answer not heard)

Afenyo-Markin: Very well. As private medical practitioner, Afra International Hospital, 2019-2022, was it on salary?

Omane Boamah: Not on salary, but on, there was compensation, but not on like monthly salary as had been structured.

 Afenyo-Markin: So, were you walking in and performing some services and being paid?

Omane Boamah: No. For the periods that I worked, I could work, let’s say, for one month sometimes, two months, and then it would be accumulated and paid.

Afenyo-Markin: How were you paid?

 Omane Boamah: I don’t understand your question. How?

Afenyo-Markin: I mean, you said that there was some compensation, not salary per se. You said not salary per se, the monthly salary. That’s what you just said.

 Omane Boamah: Yes.

Afenyo-Markin: Right, but you were paid.

Omane Boamah: Yes.

Afenyo-Markin: Were you paid cash on the table, or they paid through your account, direct transfer, or they issued you a check any time the employer needed to pay you?

Omane Boamah: It was paid directly.

Afenyo-Markin: Cash on the table, you mean?

Omane Boamah: Not cash on the table, cash in envelope.

Afenyo-Markin: Okay. So, you would agree with me, you would agree with me, that since you are receiving your salary, your compensation, your pay, in an envelope, cash in an envelope, you would agree with me that you didn’t know whether your employer was paying your tax or not.

Omane Boamah: I wouldn’t know, but I have every, I have no reason to doubt that the employer would not pay.

Afenyo-Markin: Within the period 2019 and 2022, did your employer, Afra International Hospital, furnish you with evidence of payment of taxes on your behalf?

Omane Boamah: No.

Afenyo-Markin: Given the opportunity would you furnish this committee with proof of your taxes been paid for the period 2019 to 2022 where you as Dr Omane Boamah had to receive your salary in an envelope cash on the table, cash on the table in an envelope?

Omane Boamah: Definitely, since it’s the responsibility of the employer, I can contact the employer. And if that is what you need, definitely.

Afenyo-Markin: It’s statutory, it’s not that what I need, with respect. I mean, when we work, we’re supposed to pay, it’s our duty to pay taxes. And you are coming into public service, that’s why you stated it on your CV. That’s why I’m doing this inquisition. So, it’s not that I need, the state needs it. Now, let me move to the next point. If I understand your CV, Page 2, correctly, you are saying that the last time you were gainfully employed was November 2022, correct?

Omane Boamah: Not necessarily. And I take it as, if not well structured, it would be as if I had no income from December 2022. I had. And because I’m directly responsible for that, I even have documents to prove the tax aspect of that.

Afenyo-Markin: No, no, look, Doc I’m taking it step by step. On your CV, point one on your CV, you have told this honourable committee that you worked between 2019 to November 2022. In fact, for the 2019, you did not provide us which month you started working with Afra. Would you be able to provide us with the month you started working?

Omane Boamah: I’ll check it.

Afenyo-Markin: Very well, that’s fair. Now, in this employment, were you given a letter of appointment? Were you given a letter where your conditions of service were spelled out? Were you?

Omane Boamah: I was given a letter of appointment. And let me capture the context very well for you. It was a very teething hospital that I had to provide my service to support them to stand on their feet. And so, even at the initial stage, it was subsequently that the payments commenced.

But I was okay because it was a service that I was rendering. It helped me also to sharpen my skills, not to go stale as a medical doctor, while still serving my party. So, yes, there was a letter of appointment along the line as a practitioner there. What I cannot recall is the exact details of it, but I believe if I go through.

Afenyo-Markin: So, if you say you received an appointment letter along the line, are you suggesting to this honourable committee that ab initio, you were not issued with an appointment letter, which letter would have to trigger a commencement?

Omane Boamah: Initially, no. But the evidence abounds because a lot of the clinical work that we did were computerised. So, if you want confirmation of my practise, you can find it directly on the digital platforms of the hospital.

Afenyo-Markin: Okay, Doc. So, let’s go back. On the November, you said you ended your employment in November. And I was asking you that from November 2022 up until now, have you been employed by any entity again? Or that your services at Afra International extended beyond November?

Omane Boamah: No, it didn’t. And it was because around that time, I needed to help my party organise a national congress. And then after that also, we had our presidential primaries. And subsequently became Director for Elections and IT.

Afenyo-Markin: Doc, that’s fair enough. So, let me ask you this. So, you will agree to the suggestion that your work as Director of IT was not an employment, correct?

Omane Boamah: I won’t see it as an employment, unless you want to construe it.

Afenyo-Markin: Let me qualify. Did you earn any salary or were you being paid any allowance as a Director of IT?

Omane Boamah: Occasionally.

Afenyo-Markin: Were you paying tax on that allowance?

Omane Boamah: I paid subsequently.

Afenyo-Markin: What do you mean by you paid subsequently?

Omane Boamah: I have addressed all my tax obligations…

Afenyo-Markin: Take it easy, Doc. You know, take it easy. I don’t want us to make it clumsy. I don’t want us to be all over the place. Take it easy. I want us to deal with the issue step by step. You know, you’re going to be our Defence Minister. Just step by step. Employment is employment. And I want to know from you that after the Afra International Hospital, November 2022, it ended. Into the mic. Your response should go into the mic.

Omane Boamah: Yes.

Afenyo-Markin: And you’ve also told us that because of your party activities, you had to now pay attention to flag bearership, elections, and all. So, you were occupied with that work, correct?

Omane Boamah: Correct.

Afenyo-Markin: So, what I want to know from you is that January to December 2023, January to December 2024, were you doing any work of which you were earning salary or that you were being paid allowances?

Omane Boamah: Yes. And I have answered that as Director for Elections and IT, occasionally, we were given allowance. And I have also added that for that period, 2023 and 2024, I have ensured that the requisite taxes have been paid.

Afenyo-Markin: I would, I would, I would, I’m saying that…

Omane Boamah: But I know where you are going, that is why I’m…

Afenyo-MArkin: No, no, no, doc, doc, easy, easy, easy with me.

Omane Boamah: And it’s here.

Afenyo-Markin: Wait. Chairman, you know that I have my, my good friend seated to your right. Please take it easy, let’s pick one at a time. So that we can end this thing quickly. I beg of you. Is that okay? All right. Now, so 2023 and 2024, you are telling this committee that your earnings, the only thing you earn, came from your job as director of IT at your party headquarters, where you were being paid occasional allowance. Is that correct?

Omane Boamah: Yeah. So, so Mr. Chairman, this is where there was a need for me to explain this. I don’t know what you see as earnings, per your definition. But for instance, I have investments, which I earned from, some of which have been affected by the haircut, the financial haircut. You understand? So, I put all these together as my earnings, not just the limited occasional allowance that we had.

And that’s why I said, I know where you are heading. Because if you don’t understand the question, I don’t give you an attempt to answer it. I knew where you were heading. And that’s why I said, for 2023 and 2024, that I had that personal responsibility to pay on what I was earning for those years, I have satisfied my tax obligations.

Chairman: And the committee has the tax clearance certificate before us.

Omane Boamah: Thank you very much, chair.

Afenyo-Markin: Honourable nominee, you’ve provided me with some additional information on your investment, which has suffered from haircut. We’ll deal with that separately. But let me ask you, the allowances that you are receiving, occasional allowances that you are receiving as director of IT from your party headquarters, were these allowances being paid into your account, or it was also in an envelope tabletop?

Omane Boamah: Chairman, it was not paid into my account.

Afenyo-Markin: How did you receive it?

Omane Boamah: I normally will keep it with my directorate, and then as and when I have to spend from it, I authorise.

Afenyo-Markin: So, you are receiving it cash, in other words? Cash. Because these were allowances.

Omane Boamah: Interestingly, I never went to even receive it myself on any occasion, so I will not be able to tell. But what I know is that whenever I wanted an expenditure effected on my behalf, I will instruct, and it will be spent via MoMo.

Afenyo-Markin: Okay, so you were receiving occasional allowances. This allowance that you received, which was an earned allowance, you had earned it, it’s an income. Did you find out from your party, the director of finance of your party, whether these allowances that were paid you, per chance, they deducted taxes from it?

Omane Boamah: No.

Afenyo-Markin: Given the opportunity, would you want to finish us with evidence of taxes being deducted from these allowances from your party headquarters?

Omane Boamah: Yes, if it’s available.

Afenyo-Markin: Now, do you know how much in total, 2023, 2024, you earned by way of allowances that were paid you?

Omane Boamah: I wouldn’t know, I would have to check.

Afenyo-Markin: Okay, so we are dealt with the 2023, 2024. On record, you are saying that though you received some allowances, these allowances, you never picked them directly. You normally left them with the directorate, and as and when you needed some, same was transmitted to you via MoMo, correct?

Omane Boamah: Not to me. Spend.

Afenyo-Markin: To spend, okay. So, these allowances that you earned, you ended up spending them on party activities, correct?

Omane Boamah: Some on party activities, some also on other people who depend on me.

Afenyo-Markin: Alright. Now, so we have dealt with one leg of it. Now, let’s come to the information you volunteered, though it’s not on your CV. Your other assets. You’re saying that you have some investments, and these investments suffered some haircuts, and that you had some earnings. May I know from you, in the year 2023, how much you earned on your investment?

Omane Boamah: Chair, I wouldn’t be able to sit here and know, and I believe the honourable member cannot answer the same for himself.

Afenyo-Markin: I’m not on oath, with respect. I’m not on oath. I’m not on oath Doc. Doc, respectfully.

Omane Boamah: I wouldn’t be able to answer this accurately. Because I’m on oath, I wouldn’t want to give a figure that I would not be able to answer.

Afenyo-Markin: Right, so that is fair. That is fair. I wouldn’t overstretch it. So, given the opportunity, will you be able to furnish this committee with how much you earned in 2023 from your investment? Would you be able to furnish us with it?

Omane Boamah: Yes, I will. It’s Republic Bank.

Afenyo-Markin: 2024. Did you earn some income on your investment?

Omane Boamah: Yes.

Afenyo-Markin: Given the opportunity, would you be able to?

Omane Boamah: Yes. Same Republic Bank.

Afenyo-Markin: Very well. Now, in your tax assessment, did the Ghana Revenue Authority have the opportunity of knowing all that you had earned by way of investment income?

Omane Boamah: Yes.

Afenyo-Markin: Please, since you have your tax returns with you. Now, it’s a one-page document. Do you have it with you, please? You stated there, 2023, turnover 34,858. It is stated there. Turnover 34,858. Chargeable income, 34,858. Is it the case that you provided these figures to GRA or they sifted some from the document you provided?

Omane Boamah: I have a tax person who helps me to do it. So, I provided the information and then this was the assessment that was made.

Afenyo-Markin: Which information specifically?

Omane Boamah: The earnings and everything all put together.

Afenyo-Markin: Through your bank statement, you mean?

Omane Boamah: Through the earnings from the bank, that is 2024, 2023, and also a fair idea of what I had instructed to be spent from the support that the party had given me in terms of allowance.

Afenyo-Markin: So, do I take it that the 2023 assessment is a combination of your investment with Republic Bank and allowances that you earned from the party headquarters, correct?

Omane Boamah: Exactly.

Afenyo-Markin: Same to 2024, correct?

Omane Boamah: Exactly.

Afenyo-Markin: Very well.

Omane Boamah: That’s what I was trying to explain initially.

Afenyo-Markin: Yes, but I have to ask you, then you provide the answer. Is that fair?

Omane Boamah: Yes.

Afenyo-Markin: Very well. Are you able to finish us with the details of this investment as you’ve referred to?

Omane Boamah: Yes, I can.

Afenyo-Markin: Doc, have you had the opportunity to talk to Honourable Dominic Nitiwul?

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