A whistleblower has petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), to investigate the Director General of Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Charles Kraikue, Board Chairman and the Acting Director of General Services Benjamin Arthur.
the Head of Procurement , Madam Owusu have also been mentioned to be investigated for alleged multiple breaches of the Public Procurement Laws.
A four-page document, signed by one Eric Pablo Aseda was filed at the office of the Special Prosecutor and copied the office of the President, GCAA Board Chairman, Director General of GCAA and the Public Service Workers Union of GCAA is asking that these top officials are temporarily suspend to enable thorough investigations conducted into their alleged infractions.
Observations are that , Board of Directors of GCAA have asked the Director General of GCAA to respond to the mind-blowing revelations contained in the petition which is being kept quite from the workers of GCAA to prevent an uprising at GCAA.
The petition goes on to claim that there are report of serious procurement breaches and suspicion of corruption related activities by the top officials
The petitioner contended that these above-mentioned top officers of GCAA have breached the Public Procurement Law, 2003 (Act 663) as amended in Act 918(2016) and the Public private partnership Act 2020 (Act 1039).
According to the whistleblower, “l wish to notify your esteemed office of activities of the various units of the above-mentioned organization that constitute the serious breaches of the Public Procurement Law,2003 (Act 663) as amended in Act 918(2016) and the Public private partnership Act 2020 (Act 1039).
“There is further suspicion of corrupt activities by same or all the units within the organization that handle procurements and the contracts. Below is the catalogue of acts, which had constituted the serious procurement breaches worth mentioning.
“The design and build construction of ultramodern Air Traffic Control Tower Building at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA),” the petition stated.
According the whistleblower, the Director General of the GCAA, Charles Kraikue, who, until his appointment was a Deputy Director-General for Technical Services at GCAA, and the Board of Directors led by the Board Chairman Captain Powis Deakens Spencer proceeded to sign and witnessed respectfully a US$ 19,000,000.00 procurement contract between GCAA and Messrs Amandi Investment Limited (the contractor).
He asserted in his petition to the OSP that “these acts constitutes a serious breach of the sections 36,37,38, and 39 of the Public Private Partnership Act 2020 (Act 1039).
This he said requires public sector contracting organisations to conduct the preliminary stages of project concept notes /pre-feasibility study, feasibility study, PPP solicitation process and request for qualification, before initiating procurements.
Similarly, the petitioner noted that the Director General and Board Chairman of the GCAA had proceeded to award a consultancy contract to Messrs Creativital Incorporated for supervision of the above ‘premature’ contract.
The petition added that the Director General of the Authority has gone ahead to accept a guarantee from the contractor for advance payment of 50% which was to the tune of US$ 10,050,000.00 in serious breach of the Public Financial Management Act, and procurement Act which stipulate lesser percentage, and is in the process of making actual payment.
According to the petitioner the Director General of the Authority has gone ahead to secure syndicated loan facility through ECOBANK Ghana Limited to start making payments to the contractor.
The petitioner asserted that the above breaches are so serious that Internal Auditors, External Auditors, Public Procurement Authority Auditors and Ministry of Finance Auditors shall not miss reporting on such breaches.
On the implementation of Advanced Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Records (PNR) systems and Development of Automated Boarder Control System (E-Gates) at the KIA, the petition pointed out the Director General and Director of Economic Regulation and Business Development, Rev. Stephen Wilfred Arthur are already procuring the services of an ICT infrastructure service provider to operationalize a contract with a sum in excess of US$34,000.000.00.
