The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Mr Samuel Nartey George, has officially petitioned the Attorney General and Minister for Justice to initiate a full-scale criminal investigation into the execution of a $13 million contract awarded for the construction of the permanent headquarters for the Ghana Cybersecurity Authority.
The infrastructure project, which is currently stuck at the substructure stage, has already drained millions of dollars from the state coffers under circumstances the sector Minister describes as highly suspicious and completely disproportionate to the actual work visible on the ground.
The controversy deepens as the two main contractors behind the project, Rayzone Group Limited and Mendanha & Sousa, are reported to be demanding an additional $4 million solely to cover the cost of the foundation work they have already executed. This is despite allegedly receiving an initial $3.4 million for the same phase of construction.
Compounding the financial irregularities, Mr George further disclosed that an additional $10 million has also been paid for software for the Ghana Cybersecurity Authority, which has not yet been delivered to the state.
Addressing the media in Parliament house after a tense appearance before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), a visibly frustrated Samuel Nartey George questioned the financial logic behind the disbursements made by the authority’s previous administration.
The Ningo-Prampram lawmaker stated that his outfit had raised red flags as far back as mid-last year, prompting his formal complaint to the state’s chief legal advisor.
“I cannot understand how $3.4 million has been paid, and all we have is a foundation. A building is supposed to cost about $13 million, and almost $10 million of it has been paid, yet you don’t see anything beyond the foundation,” the Minister lamented to reporters.
The Ministry is now demanding an immediate halt to further disbursements pending the outcome of a comprehensive structural and financial audit. The technical evaluation will seek to establish the true value of the concrete foundation and determine why massive expenditure was cleared for specialised software that remains unavailable to state cybersecurity officials.
Mr George expressed optimism that the Public Accounts Committee’s interest in the matter would help trigger deeper scrutiny, including from the Attorney General’s Department.
He concluded with a stern warning to public officials and private entities involved in the transaction, insisting that if investigations establish that excessive payments were made, recoveries must be pursued in the interest of the state.
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