Nana Kwame Bediako, popularly known as Cheddar, finds himself in a series of tax evasion scandals as documents from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) reveal that he has been slapped with significant penalties for failing to file his income tax.
The estimated total in taxes evaded surpasses GHC7 million, raising grave questions about Bediako’s commitment to transparency and financial responsibility, particularly given his aspirations to lead the nation.
The documents expose a recurring pattern of tax evasion.
Between 2013 and 2016, Cheddar incurred penalties of GHC15,222, GHC14,492, GHC13,760 and GHC6,526 for neglecting to file personal income tax returns.
Though he appeared to comply for the tax years 2018, 2019 and 2020, the troubling trend of non-compliance resumed in 2021 and 2022 for Cheddar.
According to the leaked document, the estimated evaded taxes for these two years are staggering, reaching GHC2,088,228 for 2021 and GHC5,096,536 for 2022.
A clear litmus test
Cheddar’s presidential bid centres around the promise of ushering in a new era of development and change in Ghanaian politics.
However, the revelation of his consistent failure to fulfil even the most fundamental civic duty – paying taxes – casts a heavy shadow over his credibility.
This is clearly inconsistent with his so-called genuine advocacy for positive change, amid his recent political pronouncements and his declaration of intent to contest the highest office of the land – the presidency.
This recent revelation by GRA is certainly a litmus test for Cheddar to come clean and address these allegations of tax evasion with transparency and accountability.
With the general election coming up this year, voters may struggle to reconcile Cheddar’s much-proclaimed commitment to change with this perceived hypocrisy about his finances.
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