The High Court in Accra has denied the application by Mr. Agyenim Boateng Adjei, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), for the release of his passport to travel outside the country.
This application came on the heels of fresh charges filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) against Mr. Adjei. In April 2024, he was charged with eight counts of using public office for profit and indirectly influencing procurement processes to gain an unfair advantage in awarding contracts. Mr. Adjei entered a plea of not guilty to all charges.
After his plea, the court granted him bail and ordered the surrender of all relevant passports to the court registry. On Wednesday, July 24, 2024, OSP prosecutors opposed Mr. Adjei’s request for the release of his passports, referencing an affidavit submitted to the court. They argued that Mr. Adjei had not provided sufficient evidence to justify his request.
The prosecution cited the case of Sedinam Christine Tamakloe, whose passport was released on medical grounds, allowing her to leave the country and subsequently fail to return. They contended that Mr. Adjei’s application should be approved only if assurances were provided that he would appear for trial.
The judge declared in her ruling that the application lacked sufficient merit. She noted that the stated purpose for travel to accompany his child to the United States could be fulfilled by another adult family member, given that the child is an American citizen, as noted in the application. Consequently, the court dismissed the application.
The case has been adjourned to October 18 and October 22, 2024, for the completion of the Case Management Conference (CMC).
