The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) is intensifying its investigation into the Ghana Airports Company Limited’s (GACL) now‑terminated revenue assurance contract with Evatex, with former Board Chair Paul Adom‑Otchere as a central figure.
Sources say the OSP believes that Mr. Adom-Otchere might have played a role that breached procurement rules as the Board is alleged to have authorised the signing of the Evatex contract. The deal, awarded without competitive tender, guaranteed Evatex 16 percent of any GACL revenue collected above an agreed benchmark, regardless of whether that increase was driven by the company’s work or simply by natural growth in airport traffic or tariff adjustments.
Investigators believe Mr. Adom-Otchere might have instructed management to proceed with the contract, a serious issue, because under Ghana’s procurement law, Boards are not empowered to make such decisions. Only the Entity Tender Committee has the mandate to approve procurement methods or awards.
The contract was formally signed by the Managing Director Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare on December 4, 2024, just days before the national election. She is alleged to have indicated that she signed under the Board’s authorisation, which raises questions about who gave that directive and whether the Board, led by Mr. Adom-Otchere at the time, inserted itself into a process it legally had no control over.
The probe has also zeroed in on how the company Evatex ended up with the deal in the first place. It was Devnest that appeared before the Board to present its proposal, but Evatex, a dormant company originally registered in the mining sector and with just one employee, was ultimately awarded the contract. No records or board minutes explain this substitution, and Registrar‑General filings show no corporate relationship between Devnest and Evatex. The only link is that Devnest submitted a letter “introducing” Evatex to the Board, but there is nothing in GACL’s records to show why that introduction translated into Evatex getting the contract, sources have said.
The company’s capacity is also under scrutiny. Evatex was not paying taxes at the time, had been inactive for years, and did not hold a licence from the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICA), a requirement for providing the kind of financial and revenue assurance services the contract covered.
Investigators have also flagged the contract structure itself as problematic. Because payments would be triggered if GACL’s revenues rose above a three‑year benchmark, Evatex could have been paid even if it contributed nothing, for example, if revenues increased naturally through higher cargo volumes or tariff adjustments.
Another layer of concern is the timing of events. The contract bears an early December 2024 date, yet some related instructions and paperwork surfaced later, fueling suspicions of backdating or procedural irregularities.
There are also allegations of direct involvement by the former Board Chair. He is alleged to have introduced Devnest to make its presentation to the Board, directed management to pursue single‑source procurement, and later told the Head of Procurement and the Commercial Services Executive to award the contract to Evatex, even though the Board had approved Devnest, not Evatex. Investigators have also noted that Evatex’s owner is a close associate of Mr. Adom-Otchere. However the former Board Chair has publicly denied these allegations, insisting he had no knowledge of the signing of the contract.
All these factors, from the claim of unusual substitution of companies, to potential Board overreach, to conflicting accounts of who authorised what, have placed Mr. Adom‑Otchere under the OSP’s microscope. Although he has regained his freedom after being detained for a night by the OSP, he is required to report frequently to the Office.
Meanwhile, sources familiar with the case say the investigation will widen in the coming days, with indications that the GACL Managing Director Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare who has remained at post even after the change in government, could be invited for questioning as early as Monday.
