Former Board Chairman of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), Paul Adom-Otchere, has broken his silence following his detention by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), rejecting claims of mistreatment and fiercely defending his controversial claim of not owning landed property in Ghana.
Mr. Adom-Otchere was held by the OSP over a revenue assurance contract allegedly awarded without due process during his tenure at GACL. His initial inability to meet bail conditions, which required landed property, resulted in overnight detention at the OSP’s facility.
He was released on Friday, August 1, 2025, after revised bail terms were approved. Speaking publicly, Adom-Otchere described the detention facility as basic but devoid of any abuse or intimidation.
“It’s a normal place they detain every Ghanaian. You are detained with people who are also detained. Nobody maltreated anyone. That is for sure. It’s state-owned”
Paul Adom-Otchere, Former Board Chairman of GACL
According to him, he shared a room with other detainees, depending on the number of people held at the time. He confirmed that basic needs were provided, including bedding and clothing.
“They treat you well – I wasn’t due for a change of clothes yet because it was overnight,” he said. However, he noted a complete lack of communication with the outside world.
“You can’t contact anyone,” he added.
Bail Terms Rejection
Adom-Otchere’s detention stemmed from his failure to meet initial bail conditions, which required him to provide landed property as surety.
“I have no landed property in my name and that is easily verifiable,” he said, claiming to not own any such property – a statement that drew public scepticism and media scrutiny.
He argued that this information was known to the OSP before the bail conditions were imposed.
“The day after when lawyers went to the OSP and said look, you can’t have these bail terms especially when the suspect had told you that he does not have landed property”
Paul Adom-Otchere, Former Board Chairman of GACL
Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu challenged Adom-Otchere’s claims, stating in an interview that the former board chairman owns several properties in Accra – even if not in his name.
He claimed that individuals had come forward to reveal properties allegedly linked to the journalist, intensifying public scrutiny. But Adom-Otchere dismissed the claims and pointed to his own financial priorities as justification for his lack of property ownership.
“I want to use my money for something else, and another person, who is with me, uses his/her money to do something else so that we can all benefit – I don’t have landed property in my name”
Paul Adom-Otchere, Former Board Chairman of GACL
He further questioned the novelty of the bail conditions imposed by the OSP. According to his lawyers, the bail regime has never happened, “no one has seen it before.” He explained that a bail regime is usually “self-recognisance bail – especially if you’re somebody they can always find.”
Eventually, the Jospong Group of Companies stepped in to act as surety, resulting in his release.
Public Support Misinterpreted
Paul Adom-Otchere addressed the support he received during his detention, which some critics perceived as an attempt to obstruct the work of the OSP.
“They were not expressing concern that Paul Adom-Otchere has done something wrong but is above the law so you cannot touch. No!.
“They were expressing concern that the bail conditions that the OSP gave were too harsh and unreasonable and actually unknown to the jurisprudence”
Paul Adom-Otchere, Former Board Chairman of GACL
Despite his release, the Office of the Special Prosecutor continues its investigation into the alleged procedural breach regarding the revenue assurance contract at GACL during Adom-Otchere’s tenure.
No formal charges have been brought against him yet. The OSP has not commented publicly beyond confirming the ongoing nature of its probe.
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