CHRAJ Report: Paul Adom Otchere breached Procurement Act, did Over Invoicing in purchase of Christmas trees at KIA

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has held that Paul Adom Otchere, the then Board chairman of Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), committed no criminal offence for which he should be referred to the Attorney-General for investigations in the purchase of Christmas decorations at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) in 2021.

The Commission, however, found a breach of the Procurement Act of 2003, Act 663, over invoices issued in the joint names of Mr Adom Otchere and GACL. CHRAJ ruled that this action it as having no major effect.

“As the provisions of Act 663 do not require that invoices be submitted in the personal names of Board Chairmen of state-owned enterprises, we agree that this was a breach of Act 663 albeit minor,” parts of the 53-page report issued after CHRAJ’s investigations said.

The complaint was filed by Sacut Amenga-Etego against Mr Adom Otchere, who is said to have gone on air on Friday, January 7, 2022 as host of Good Evening Ghana on Metro TV to state that he used public funds to procure the Christmas decorations at KIA.

He said he received quotations amounting to GH¢118,000 from two vendors for the project.

But Mr Amenga-Etego filed the complaint, praying CHRAJ for three reliefs including an order directed at GACL to surcharge its board chairman for procurement breaches and recommend his removal.

But in its report issued by Commissioner Joseph Whittal, CHRAJ said the relief above, for instance, cannot be granted because “our investigations did not reveal that the Respondent benefitted in any way from the breaches that occasioned the procurement of the Christmas inspirations”.

“Accordingly, there is no justification making a surcharge order directed at him and recommending his removal as Board Chairman.

“Our investigations have also not revealed any facts pointing to any criminal offence committed by the Respondent.

“For that reason, we are unable to refer him to any authority for further investigations. We do not find any merit in recommending him for prosecution by the Attorney-General.

“In effect, we are unable to grant relief 3.”

But CHRAJ made some observations, among which is ordering Mr Adom Otchere from interfering in the work of Management and restrict himself purely to his prescribed functions as Board Chairman.

The Commission also wants Act 663 to be amended “to define ‘procurement’ as pertaining in other countries with similar legislation”.

Source: 3news.com