OSP detains Paul Adom-Otchere over GACL contract probe

Paul Adom-Otchere, former Board Chairman of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), is in the custody of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

His detention follows his failure to meet bail conditions in an ongoing probe into a revenue assurance contract.

Mr. Adom-Otchere, along with two others, has been formally charged by the OSP over suspected procurement infractions linked to the controversial contract between GACL and a private firm. The contract is reportedly tied to the proprietor of Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd (SML).

According to the OSP, Mr. Adom-Otchere is required to present two landed properties registered in his name to satisfy his bail conditions. However, the former board chair has reportedly told investigators he does not own any landed property in Ghana. Until alternative arrangements are made or the bail terms are revised, he remains in custody.

The two other individuals facing similar charges are Otchere Kwame Baffour Awuah, Group Executive in charge of Commercial Services at GACL, and Albert Adjetey Adjei-Laryea, Chief Executive Officer of Devnest Systems, the company that allegedly received the contract.

At the heart of the probe is the award of a revenue assurance contract that allegedly bypassed the Ghana Airports Company’s Board approval process. Investigators believe a company other than the one sanctioned by the Board may have been awarded the contract through sole-sourcing—raising serious red flags about potential breaches of the Public Procurement Act.

The OSP is examining whether due process was flouted and whether the state may have incurred financial losses as a result of the transaction. The investigation forms part of broader efforts by the OSP to clamp down on irregular contracting practices and ensure transparency in the operations of state institutions.

Mr. Adom-Otchere and his co-accused are expected to make further appearances as the OSP builds its case.