The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has exposed the Ghana Airport Company (GACL) for repeatedly violating procurement laws. According to the commission’s investigation, GACL had been using public funds to procure Christmas trees since 2018 but failed to adhere to proper procurement procedures.
This controversy came to light when a complainant, Sacut Amenga Etego, lodged a petition with CHRAJ in January 2022, alleging potential abuse of office in the 2021 procurement of a Christmas tree for decorative purposes, costing a staggering 128,000 cedis.
CHRAJ’s findings placed the blame on the GACL’s Board Chairman, Paul Adom Okyere, for abusing his office. The commission emphasized that a state-owned company’s Board Chairman has no authority in procurement matters and noted that Okyere’s active involvement in the procurement process constituted interference in the company’s management functions, violating corporate governance principles.
While the commission did not grant all the reliefs requested by the complainant, it recommended that Paul Adom Okyere should “restrain himself from interfering in the work of the management and restrict himself purely to his prescribed functions as Board Chairman.” Moreover, the commission advised him to refrain from making public comments on GACL matters, as such actions are incompatible with principles of good corporate governance.
In a significant move, CHRAJ directed the Ghana Airport Company to stop treating the rental of Christmas trees as exempt from procurement laws and, therefore, not subject to the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663).
The commission also called upon the Public Procurement Authority to take steps to amend Act 663 and provide a clear interpretation of the term ‘procurement,’ emphasizing the need for greater transparency and adherence to procurement regulations in public organizations.