The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) has called on the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) to fast-track processes in the criminal investigations of former Chief Executive Officer of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), Adjenim Boateng Adjei.
Contained in a statement issued by the GII, it lauded CHRAJ for the competence displayed in carrying out the investigations. GII’s demand followed findings from the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) which found Adjenim Boateng Adjei guilty of conflict of interest in the performance of his duties as the former PPA boss.
“GII commends CHRAJ for a dispassionate and thorough work done and calls on OSP and EOCO to fast track the criminal investigations aspect of this case and where culpability is established, the law should be made to go its full length to serve as a deterrent to all public officials entrusted with the responsibility of providing public service and managing our national resources. GII has no doubt that, if enforcement and compliance of the various accountability laws and sanctions are effectively implemented, Ghana will be able to save most of the resources lost to corruption”.
GII
Recounting its push for a probe, GII revealed that in pursuant of Article 218 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and Section 7 of the CHRAJ Act, 1993 (Act 456), it petitioned CHRAJ to conduct investigations into possible breaches of the provisions of Chapter 24 of the 1992 Constitution in respect of Mr. Adjenim Boateng Adjei. In the petition, GII made some allegations and requested CHRAJ to investigate same.
It indicated that Mr. Adjenim Boateng Adjei and the other Members of the Board of the PPA were allegedly involved in corruption, conflict of interest, collusion and inappropriate conduct in violation of the Constitution and laws of Ghana for which appropriate sanctions should be applied.
CHRAJ’s report on PPA case
Subsequently, it explained that Mr. Adjenim Boateng Adjei established companies soon after he was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Public Procurement Authority without disclosing his interest.
“That after establishing the companies, Adjenim Boateng Adjei used his public office for private gain, which conduct is prohibited by the Constitution, the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663), and Chapter 5 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29)”.
GII
Commenting on some highlights of CHRAJ’s report which GII received on 16th February, 2022, it indicated Mr. A. B. Adjei and Dr. Emmanuel Yaw Boakye put themselves in positions where their personal interests conflicted with the performance of their public functions as CEO and as a Member of the Board of PPA.
In the case of Dr. Boakye, who was a Technical Director at the office of the Minister of Procurement and a member of the PPA Board, CHRAJ found out that his involvement with the Kristo Asafo Group of Companies and his failure to recuse himself during the 25th Meeting of the Board of Technical Committee to consider the Ministry of Education’s request to use single source procurement method to acquire 160 Kantanka Pick-ups vehicles from the Kantanka Automobile Limited in 2019 placed him in a conflict of interest position.
Meanwhile, Adjenim Boateng Adjei has dragged CHRAJ to court over claims that the Commission acted in breach of natural justice and failed to give him a fair hearing during its earlier investigations into the ‘Contract for Sales’ saga. According to him, CHRAJ never gave him the chance to cross-examine witnesses presented in the case.
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