The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has cleared Mr Paul Adom-Otchere, Board Chairman of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), of allegations related to breaching procurement processes in acquiring Christmas decorations in 2021.
CHRAJ acknowledged a minor breach when Mr Adom-Otchere requested an invoice in his name along with GACL but found no evidence supporting broader violations of procurement laws or corporate governance principles.
The investigation was prompted by a petition filed by Sacut Amenga-Etego, who claimed about $118,000 of taxpayers’ money was spent on the decorations.
While exonerating Mr Adom-Otchere, CHRAJ recommended he refrain from interfering in management affairs.
CHRAJ’s report said: “Our investigations did not reveal that the respondent breached several provisions of Act 663 as amended.
The procurement of the Christmas inspirations was done by the management albeit with some active participation by the respondent in the sense that he requested an invoice from one of the suppliers, Favors and Arts.”
“This invoice was issued in the joint names of the respondent and the GACL. 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 was a breach of Act 663 albeit minor.”
CHRAJ noted: “Apart from this, we did not find that the respondent breached other provisions of Act 663 as amended. We also find that the respondent breached some but not several provisions of corporate governance in some roles that he played in the procurement of the inspirations and his appearance via media on media matters relating to the procurement.”
CHRAJ, however, scolded Mr Adom-Otchere for “requesting for invoices and his appearances in the media in respect of matters involving the GACL of which he is the Board Chairman.”
CHRAJ said such practice “does not auger well for good corporate governance.”
“We recommend that the respondent should restrain himself from interfering in the work of management and restrict himself purely to his prescribed functions as Board Chairman.”
