A recent investigation by journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has revealed that Ghana lost more than GHS200 million in a series of sanitation contracts awarded to companies under the Jospong Group. Apexnewsgh reports
The investigation found widespread irregularities and duplication of existing efforts in the contracts, which were awarded without competitive tender.
According to the investigation, 11 companies were handpicked for the contract, all of which were subsidiaries of the Jospong Group, owned by Joseph Siaw Agyepong. One of the companies, Meridian Waste Management Services, was not even registered at the time the contract was awarded, with official registration occurring three months later.
The investigation also found that the fumigation and disinfection activities for which the funds were approved were already covered by two separate ongoing contracts awarded to Zoomlion Ghana Limited, another Jospong subsidiary. Despite this, a third fumigation contract was awarded, covering the same districts and assemblies already under Zoomlion’s management. When questioned, neither the Ministry nor Zoomlion could provide evidence of supervision or validation of the work.
The company presented photos of fumigation exercises as proof of work, but police investigators found identical images submitted for multiple districts. Officials interviewed across the assemblies stated they neither witnessed nor were informed of any additional sanitation activities.
The case attracted the attention of the Attorney General’s Department and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), but despite overwhelming evidence, no prosecutions followed, and the funds were not recovered. Manasseh described the dossier as one of the most comprehensive evidence packages in a sanitation-related scandal.
Further investigations revealed an entrenched pattern of contracts awarded to the Jospong Group across various government programmes, including fumigation contracts, street and market sweeping contracts, and landfill management contracts. The investigation underscores a broader culture of impunity, with successive administrations allegedly collaborating with the Jospong Group despite public health risks and financial losses.
Manasseh Azure Awuni defended his reporting, stating that exposing such deals is crucial for safeguarding public funds and ensuring accountability. “Protecting local companies should not mean supporting fraud,” he said. The Jospong Group and Zoomlion Ghana Limited have denied the allegations.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com
