Attorney-General and Minister for Justice-designate Godfred Yeboah Dame has stated that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo should be commended for his prompt decision to dismiss the former Chief Executive Officer of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).
The President dismissed Adjenim Boateng Adjei in October last year after he was found guilty of conflict of interest in the performance of his duties as he sidestepped procurement procedures for personal gains.
The dismissal followed a report by the Commissioner of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to the President, confirming same.
Answering questions last Friday from a member of the Appointments Committee of Parliament, Mr O. B. Amoah who is also the MP for Akwapim South, Mr Godfred Dame said the dismissal of the former PPA CEO was in the interest of the nation.
He maintained that the President ought to be praised by all well-meaning for the swift manner in which he dealt with the matter.
President Akufo-Addo, he noted, considered CHRAJ’s report on the former PPA boss and decided his dismissal was in the right decision.
He noted that the president, “considered the CHRAJ report and had no hesitation at all that the best step in the interest of the nation was to terminate the appointment of Mr. A.B. Adjei. I think the President ought to be commended for the swift and decisive manner in which the termination was done.”
In one of the questions, Mr O. Amoah quizzed the nominee, “What was your role as a member of the Board in the matter of the suspension and termination of the appointment of the CEO of the PPA?
Answering, Mr Godfred Dame said he and other members of the Board cooperated with CHRAJ during the investigation of the scandal.
He said the Board was shocked when it got to know about the case.
Mr Godfred Dame however pointed out that no other board member was implicated in the scandal.
Conflict of interest allegation
An investigative piece titled ‘Contracts for Sale’ by investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni revealed some contracts authorized by the Authority to a company alleged to be co-owned by Mr Adjei.
This led to the suspension of the former PPA CEO after the Office of the Special Prosecutor and CHRAJ were tasked to look into the matter.
The findings of the Commissioner of CHRAJ, Joseph Whittal, concluded, “on the totality of the evidence, Mr. Adjenim Boateng Adjei had put himself in a position where his personal interests conflicted with the performance of his functions as CEO and Board Member of the PPA.”
CHRAJ observed that some money accrued in Mr. Adjei’s accounts since assuming office in 2017 stood at GH¢14.8 million from his four Dollar and Euro accounts held at two banks.
According to CHRAJ, the former PPA Boss could not satisfactorily explain the source of the large volumes of excess wealth that passed through his bank accounts between March 2017 and August 2019.
Akufo-Addo’s gratitude
A statement signed by Communications Director at the President’s office, Eugene Arhin, said, “Having satisfied himself of the fact that the recommendation made by CHRAJ is properly motivated and well-founded, the President has expressed his appreciation and gratitude to Mr. Joseph Whittal and CHRAJ for the thorough and methodical manner in which the matter has been addressed.”
