Airport Christmas trees procurement: Journalist petitions CHRAJ
In the petition, Mr. Amenga-Etego argues that the Board Chairman, Paul Adom-Otchere, failed to invite at least three vendors to submit bids for the procurement of the Christmas trees, that the total value of the decorations is above the threshold of requesting for quotations from vendors and that the call for bids ought to have been advertised in newspapers, as according to the Public Procurement Act, Act 663.
Sacut Amenga-Etego, a journalist, has petitioned the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), regarding what he describes as the misuse of public funds in the procurement of Christmas trees by the Board Chairman of the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL).
In the petition, Mr. Amenga-Etego argues that the Board Chairman, Paul Adom-Otchere, failed to invite at least three vendors to submit bids for the procurement of the Christmas trees, that the total value of the decorations is above the threshold of requesting for quotations from vendors and that the call for bids ought to have been advertised in newspapers, as according to the Public Procurement Act, Act 663.
He further contends that the transaction, which was at GH₵ 118, 000.00, was spilt, so it stays within the GHC 100,000.00 threshold for price quotation. An act he says is in breach of the Procurement Act.
“Fourthly, by directly involving himself in the procurement of the Christmas trees, Mr. Paul Adom-Otchere has abused the powers of his office and breached one of the cardinal principles of corporate governance, that of separation of the roles of the chairman of the board and the chief executive officer,” the petition read.
In reliefs, Mr. Amenga-Etego is asking CHRAJ to declare that Mr. Paul Adom-Otchere has breached several provisions of the Pulic Procurement law, the public financial administration law and the principles of corporate governance.
He also wants the Commission to order GACL to surcharge Mr. Paul Adom-Otchere, recommend his removal as Board Chairman and refer the case to prosecutorial authorities.
Mr. Paul Adom-Otchere has already dismissed the allegations during an editorial on his Good Evening Ghana programme following a leaked invoice that was circulated on social media.
Responding to allegations that the GACL spent GH₵84,000 on four Christmas trees while staff were owed December salaries, Mr Adom-Otchere said the four Christmas trees installed at the Kotoka International Airport cost a total of GH₵34,000 while other decorations cost GH₵84,000 out of which GH₵50,000 was paid for via sponsorship.
“We didn’t use this invoice, and people have gone around and talked about the cost on this invoice being the cost of the inspirations. That is totally wrong because this invoice is the one that has four Christmas trees for GH¢84,000”, he said on Tuesday, January 11, 2022.
