Hot SourceLegal counsel for the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), Paul Adom-Otchere, has raised serious concerns about the conduct of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) in its ongoing investigation into a revenue assurance contract.
Nicholas Lenin Anane Agyei, representing Mr Adom-Otchere, accused the OSP of lacking clarity on the specific allegations against his client, thereby casting doubt on the legal foundation of the case.
Despite being granted bail, Mr Adom-Otchere remains in custody, having failed to meet the bail conditions specifically, the provision of two landed properties registered in his name.
He is being held alongside two others: Otchere Kwame Baffour Awuah, Group Executive for Commercial Services at GACL, and Albert Adjetey Adjei-Laryea, Chief Executive Officer of Devnest Systems.
The case centres on an alleged sole-sourced revenue assurance contract between GACL and a private company reportedly linked to the owner of Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd (SML). The OSP is investigating possible procurement breaches, including whether the contract was awarded without proper approval from the GACL Board.
Speaking on Channel One’s Newsroom yesterday, Thursday, July 31, 2025, Mr Agyei criticised the apparent inconsistency in the OSP’s approach.
“The OSP purports to have charged our client, and yet they say they are still investigating possible procurement breaches. The suggestion is that they themselves are uncertain about their findings or the charges they intend to pursue,” he remarked.
He also rejected the OSP’s claim that the contract was awarded to a different entity than the one approved by the GACL Board.
“They allege the contract was awarded to a body other than what the Board approved,” Mr Agyei said.
Turning to the issue of bail, Mr Agyei described the conditions as “punitive and unjust”, particularly in view of his client’s inability to meet them.
“What is even more strange,” he added, “is that the Managing Director who signed the contracts is walking free, while the Board, which only provides policy direction and approval, is being treated harshly.”
He further described the bail terms as “outrageous and unconscionable”, emphasising that Mr Adom-Otchere had already disclosed to the OSP that he owns no landed property in Ghana.
“The OSP’s requirement for two landed properties in his name is essentially a deliberate effort to detain him indefinitely,” he said.
According to Mr Agyei, the bail conditions imposed are not only excessive but also discriminatory.
“It is unreasonable, in the context of bail, to demand properties in the accused’s name. What the OSP is effectively saying is that people without property, poor people, cannot obtain bail in this country.”
He added that the OSP was already aware that Mr Adom-Otchere did not own landed property, yet still imposed that specific requirement.
“The shocking part is that during the profiling process, Mr Adom-Otchere clearly stated he owns no landed property. By still demanding two such properties for bail, the OSP has, in effect, set him up to fail,” Mr Agyei asserted.
He assured the public that the defence team is actively pursuing all available legal avenues to secure his client’s release.
“We will explore every legal remedy to ensure that Mr Adom-Otchere is freed,” he affirmed.
Mr Adom-Otchere, a prominent media personality and former GACL Board Chairman, remains in detention due to his inability to meet the bail condition, despite being formally granted bail.
The OSP has charged him and two others in connection with its investigation into alleged procurement breaches at GACL.
The probe focuses on whether a sole-sourced contract was awarded to a private firm, reportedly linked to the owner of Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd, without proper Board approval or compliance with procurement regulations.
While the two other accused persons are reportedly cooperating with investigators, their detention status has not been publicly confirmed.
The case has garnered significant public attention, particularly in light of Mr Adom-Otchere’s high-profile role at GACL and his longstanding presence in the media. The OSP says investigations are ongoing.
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