The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has charged Paul Adom‑Otchere, former Board Chairman of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), for his alleged role in unlawfully awarding a revenue assurance contract without following due procurement processes.
The case, which centres on a sole-sourced agreement between GACL and a private technology firm, represents a deepening probe into the opaque dealings within Ghana’s state-owned enterprises and highlights the growing scrutiny on the operations of Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) and its associates.
Bail conditions unmet
In a statement released on its official social media platforms on Wednesday, July 31, the OSP confirmed that Mr Adom-Otchere has not yet satisfied his bail conditions and is still in custody.
He is required to produce two landed properties registered in his name in Ghana as surety.
However, the former broadcaster and GACL board chair has reportedly told investigators that he does not own any such property locally, a declaration that has kept him in custody as efforts continue to enforce the bail conditions.
“Mr Adom‑Otchere has so far been unable to meet his bail conditions. He is required to present two landed properties… However, he has informed the OSP that he does not own landed property in Ghana,” the statement from the Special Prosecutor said.
2 others charged alongside Adom-Otchere
Also charged in the same matter are Otchere Kwame Baffour Awuah, Group Executive of Commercial Services at GACL, and Albert Adjetey Adjei‑Laryea, the Chief Executive Officer of Devnest Systems, the private firm at the centre of the deal.
According to the OSP, the charges stem from possible breaches of procurement laws regarding a revenue assurance contract awarded to Devnest Systems.
Investigators believe the contract was issued without competitive tendering and without approval from the GACL Board, in violation of Ghana’s Public Procurement Act.
This particular contract allegedly shares similarities with those previously awarded to Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited, a private company that has faced significant public and regulatory scrutiny in recent months for its dealings with government agencies, especially the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
OSP targets state enterprises in anti-graft drive
The charges against Adom-Otchere and his co-accused mark a significant escalation in the Special Prosecutor’s campaign to investigate and prosecute alleged procurement abuses within state-owned enterprises.
The OSP’s recent activities reflect a broader national reckoning over how contracts are awarded in the public sector, particularly where transparency is lacking and competitive bidding processes are bypassed.
The Ghana Airports Company Limited, wholly owned by the Government of Ghana, manages the country’s airports, including the Kotoka International Airport, and has increasingly come under the radar of investigative agencies due to its strategic importance and the large financial outlays involved in its operations.
SML contracts trigger wider investigations
The current charges also stem from the OSP’s broader probe into contracts linked to SML, a company that entered the public spotlight over lucrative revenue assurance agreements with the GRA.
SML’s contracts, some of which reportedly run into hundreds of millions of cedis, have been criticised by civil society and opposition figures for lacking transparency and sidestepping procurement protocols.
The company has denied any wrongdoing, but pressure has mounted on the government to review or cancel questionable deals.
Several high-ranking officials in state institutions have already been arrested or invited for questioning by the OSP as part of its expanded investigation into the award of sole-sourced contracts across the public sector.
Public interest and the road ahead
The case involving Paul Adom-Otchere, a known media personality and host of Good Evening Ghana, has drawn intense public interest due to his prominence in both media and government circles.
His continued detention over unmet bail conditions adds a dramatic dimension to a case that could have far-reaching implications for public sector governance and anti-corruption enforcement in Ghana.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor has indicated that further disclosures will be made in the coming days as the case develops.
