‘I’m happy ‘contracts for sale’ exposé didn’t die like others’ – Manasseh Azure

Investigative Journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, has expressed satisfaction with the charges brought against the former Chief Executive Officer of the Public Procurement Authority, Adjenim Boateng Adjei, following his “Contracts for Sale” investigative piece.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, he said he was happy his story led to something substantial.

His investigation revealed that a company known as Talent Discovery Limited (TDL), owned by Mr. Adjei, was getting government contracts through restricted tendering and selling those contracts to others for profit.

“Even though the case has delayed, I will say that I am happy it has not died,” Mr. Azure said.

“There are some that we have done that didn’t travel this far though there was enough evidence for the state to have gotten a conviction,” he noted.

In Mr. Azure’s latest reporting on the story for The Fourth Estate, he said Mr. Adjei had withdrawn all the monies from his bank accounts that were supposed to be frozen when investigations into his activities began.

While his story explains why Mr. Adjei would have been able to transfer the money, the journalist is yet to unravel what happened to the money.

“I tried to find out where exactly it was taken to, and I couldn’t really get any answers, and I am just wondering what may have happened,” he said.

“From my sources, it is even not possible to say exactly where the money was taken to,” Mr. Azure added.

Mr. Adjei, who was sacked from his position, has been charged with eight counts of using public office for profit and nine counts of directly and indirectly influencing the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage in the award of a procurement contract.

According to the Office of the Special Prosecutor, he will make his first court appearance on May 25, 2022.

He was also found guilty of conflict of interest  by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice.

CHRAJ said he accrued GHS 14.8 million in four Dollar and Euro accounts held at two banks.

source:Citi News Room