Investigations into ‘sales contracts’ never started: Amidu explains delay in PPA head case

General news for Monday, November 16, 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

2020-11-16

Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu says his office “never initiated investigations into the ‘sales contract’ allegations” leveled against Adjenim Boateng Adjei, former executive director of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) because his staff of investigators have been compromised. .

This, he said, explains why Manasseh Azure Awuni, the investigative journalist, has not yet been invited to testify as a witness.

Manasseh Azure Awuni, in a documentary accused the former executive director of the PPA of establishing a company known as Talent Discovery Limited (TDL), which was used to secure government contracts through restrictive tenders and to sell those contracts to others for profit. .

In a statement released on the website of the Special Prosecutor’s Office on Sunday, Martin Amidu gave an update on the referral of the corruption allegations against Adjenim Boateng Adjei to his office.

Amidu explained that he had agreed with the Auditor General (AG) to review Adjenim Boateng Adjei’s bank statements for the period 01/01/2017 to 08/31/2019. The review was conducted and then referred to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) for the necessary action to be taken.

Through this arrangement, AG’s office auditors were to assist OSP investigators in understanding the review of Adjenim Boateng Adjei’s bank statements. The review will then be forwarded to the acting Chief of Investigations for action.

“The Audit Service staff who reviewed Mr. Adjei’s bank statements after his first meeting with the Acting Chief of Investigation and the case officer did not return to assist in the investigations. When I pressed the matter of the Audit Service staff’s reluctance to assist in the further investigation of the case, the Auditor General informed me that his staff had informed him that they could not work with my investigators on the case. I transmitted the information to the investigators and wanted to know what the problem had been, they said they did not know of any problem, “said parts of the OSP statement.

Martin Amidu noted that from the behavior and manner in which the investigations were being conducted, it appeared that the PASB investigators, who were seconded personnel, were compromised because the “Acting Chief of Investigations and the officer of the In this case it took less than an hour to search the premises of Talent Discovery Limited (TDL), the residence of Mr. Adjei and the residence of Mr. Francis Arhin and literally no material exhibits were found. “

Amidu revealed that the intelligence he gathered revealed that one of his investigators was in constant communication with one of the suspects’ lawyers.

After insistent calls to the Auditor General to be honest with him and tell him everything he should know about the collaboration between his office and the PASB, the Auditor General informed Martin Amidu that “his staff informed him that when he first met with my [Amidu] staff, my seconded investigators told them that the case was so good that each of them could benefit from it. “

He continued: “I confronted the Acting Chief of Investigation with the facts, but he flatly denied them. But the same scenario was playing out in other cases, such as three very serious ongoing investigations at the National Lottery Authority, for alleged commission of corruption and crimes related to corruption.

Most ongoing investigations are unduly delayed for no apparent reason, despite constant reminders from the Special Prosecutor. The resolution of the Adjenim Boateng Adjei case was taking too long to investigate because the investigators on my seconded staff seemed compromised. “

Therefore, Martin Amidu has ordered that all ongoing investigations be suspended in all cases, except those affecting pending cases in court.

Read the full statement from Martin Amidu below.