Civil society group, Citizen Ghana Movement wants the Chief Executive Officer of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), Adjenim Boateng Adjei to resign from his post.
The call follows what the group says was Mr. Adjei’s ‘ugliest form of political corruption’ in the “Contracts for Sale” investigative piece by former Multimedia Journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni.
In a statement, Citizen Ghana Movement said; “although we note that the President has suspended Mr. Adjei and referred the matter to CHRAJ and the Special Prosecutor for Investigations, we appeal to Mr. Adjei’s conscience, if he has any left, to resign from office with immediate effect. We look forward to an expeditious investigation and subsequent prosecution of Mr. Adjei and any related person who will be found culpable of a criminal offense.”
“The modus operandi, as revealed in the video, is that Mr. Adjei uses Talent Discovery Limited (TDL), a company in which he owns majority shares, to procure public contacts through restrictive tendering for subsequent sale to third parties at 18% of the contract value. Mr. Adjei’s conduct is political corruption in its ugliest form”, portions of the statement added.
Dissolve PPA Board
The Ghana Citizen Movement is also demanding the dissolution of the Board of the Authority for superintending over the activities of Mr. Adjei together with their lack of proper diligence in approving all awarded contracts adding that, the Board is complicit in the scandal.
“We find it very disappointing that the head of a public agency which is supposed to ensure compliance with the procurement laws of this country, will engage himself in such serious violations. It is even more disappointing to find that the board of the Authority, who are supposed to supervise Mr. Adjei in the performance of his duties, will aid and abet him in these violations by granting approval for the award of these many contracts numbering about 14 to Mr. Adjei. We also call on the President, to immediately dissolve the Board of the Authority for their complicity in the corrupt conduct of Mr. Adjei.”, the statement said.
President Akufo-Addo suspended Mr. Adjei over allegations of corruption and conflict of interest.
A statement from the Presidency said the President has referred the allegations involving conflict of interest to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and those relating to potential acts of corruption to the Office of Special Prosecutor “for their prompt action.”
The Chairperson of the Board of the PPA has been tasked “to ensure that Mr AB Adjei hands over his office expeditiously to Mr. Frank Mante, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the PPA.”
Meanwhile, the Office of the Special Prosecutor has invited Adjenim Boateng Adjei for questioning as investigations into corruption allegations made against him begin.
