Former PPA boss ban 10yrs; to cough over GH¢5m to Ghana in 6month

The Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice, (CHRAJ) has banned the former Chief Executive Officer of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), Mr Adjenim Boateng Adjei from holding public office for the next ten (10) years.

Mr Boateng Adjei is also to refund to the state 5,697,530 within six month.

3new.com report sighted by GhanaPlus.com said the sanctions follows a petition filed by the  Ghana Integrity Initiative, a non-partisan, non-profit civil organization focused on addressing corruption following an expose by award winning investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni.

The investigative piece titled Contract for Sale’ aired in August 2019, presented evidence of corrupt practices against  Mr. Adjenim Boateng Adjei, the then head and CEO of the public Procurement Authority and other government officials for engaging in malicious sale of road contract.

In the widely publicized documentary, Talent Discovery Limited (TDL), said to be owned by the PPA boss and incorporated in June 2017, won a number of government contracts through restrictive tendering with monies accrued sitting in the personal bank account of Mr Boateng Adjei.

A publication by TheGhanareport.com said Undercover encounters with the General Manager of the Company, Thomas Amoah, revealed that the company was selling a ¢22.3 million road contract to K-Drah Enterprise, a fake company, the investigative journalist used for the investigation.

Mr Adjenim Boateng Adjei was subsequently sacked by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo over the development.

A letter announcing his dismissal said “This follows the submission of a report to the President by the Commissioner of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mr. Joseph Whittal, in which the Commission concluded that on the totality of the evidence, Mr. Adjenim Boateng Adjei had put himself in a position where his personal interests conflicted with the performance of his functions as CEO and Board Member of the PPA,” the statement reads.

 “It will be recalled that on the 22^nd August 2019, President Akuffo Addo suspended Mr. Adjenim Boateng Adjei from office, following the broadcast of allegations made against him in an investigative documentary conducted by Manasseh Azure Awuni, titled “Contracts for Sale”. He subsequently, referred the allegations involving conflict of interest to CHRAJ, and those relating to potential acts of corruption to the Office of Special Prosecutor, for their action,” the statement added.

Ghana Integrity Initiative petition CHRAJJ over PPA boss contract for sale

Following his dismissal, Ghana Integrity Initiative on October 4, 2019, petition CHRAJ to investigate officials of TDL,the PPA boss, the General Manager of TDL, Thomas Amoah especially as well as all public officers of the procurement entities for their involvement in corruption in the award of contracts to TDL and the “sale” of contracts.

“In the CHRAJ findings, Mr Boateng Adjei was said to have put himself in a conflict of interest position, abused his office on two occasions and failed to declare his assets as required by Chapter 24 of the 1992 Constitution.

Therefore, he is not to take any public office for the next 10 years and ordered to declare his assets within three months in accordance with Article 28(1)(c) of the Constitution.

“Out of the over GH¢5 million is to refund, he is reported to have made available GH¢86,000,” 3new.com report on Friday, February 25.

Source: GhanaPlus.com