Manasseh fires back at Paul Adom-Otchere over GACL contract

Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has responded to comments made by broadcaster and former Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) Board Chairman, Paul Adom-Otchere, over a controversial revenue assurance contract awarded under his tenure.

In a statement posted on his official Facebook page, Manasseh stated that although his investigation into the contract is yet to be published, certain claims made by Mr. Adom-Otchere during a special morning edition of his Good Evening Ghana show required urgent clarification.

Manasseh began by confirming that he had reached out to Mr. Adom-Otchere for comment, as part of his professional process. While the broadcaster acknowledged receiving his questions and even promised responses, the journalist noted that none have been received.

“You said I had engaged you on this matter, and we had exchanged questions and answers. This is wholly correct. And I’m still waiting for your response… after the several promises and timelines you gave me,” he wrote.

Manasseh then challenged Mr. Adom-Otchere’s claim that he was unfamiliar with the owners of the company that was awarded the contract. Describing the denial as “false,” Manasseh stated emphatically that the former board chair had previously admitted—on two separate occasions—that he knew the company’s principals.

“I HAVE EVIDENCE OF THIS,” he stressed. “I also have evidence that a year before that company… came to the board meeting you chaired at the GACL, you had met those behind the company.”

He accused Mr. Adom-Otchere of attempting to distance himself from the deal in public, despite privately acknowledging a connection to the firm involved.

Another point of dispute was Mr. Adom-Otchere’s assertion that the contract did not involve direct payment from the state, but rather offered the company 15% of any incremental revenue it helped generate above GACL’s benchmark. Manasseh dismissed this explanation as deceptive, warning that such revenue assurance arrangements often end up costing the state millions without proven results.

He referenced the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd (SML) deal with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), where a similar contract structure resulted in $141 million in payments by the end of 2023—despite SML’s inability to demonstrate any concrete revenue recovery or expose wrongdoing.

“SML could not point to a single recovery… Not even one. But they have been paid,” Manasseh wrote. “So, it’s misleading to suggest that no payment is involved.”

He cautioned that these kinds of contracts—often presented as no-risk, results-based engagements—have a recurring pattern: huge payments to private firms with little to no auditing evidence of impact.

Although Manasseh did not publish the full findings of his investigation, he hinted at deep irregularities in the deal, indicating that multiple public officials—including Mr. Adom-Otchere, the GACL Managing Director, and the Public Procurement Authority (PPA)—may have critical questions to answer once the full exposé is released.

“The story itself will reveal why the deal is a scandal,” he stated, “and why you, the MD of GACL, and the PPA may need to answer some critical questions.”

This response comes against the backdrop of a formal summons issued to Mr. Adom-Otchere by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), which is investigating suspected corruption and related offences surrounding the same contract. A letter dated July 25, 2025, and sighted by this portal, identifies Mr. Adom-Otchere as a suspect in the OSP’s probe into the audit deal awarded by GACL.

The investigation focuses on a contract allegedly awarded to a private company believed to be owned by the Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), raising concerns about conflict of interest and procurement irregularities.