Manasseh paid money to a ‘boy’ not TDL – Lawyer

Lawyers for suspended Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) Adjenim Boateng Adjei have challenged investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni to provide documentary evidence that he bought a contract from Talent Discovery Limited (TDL), a company belonging to the embattled CEO of the PPA.

According to Augustine Obour, giving out money to the manager of TDL as payment for purchasing a contract, which was captured in the video documentary titled ‘Contracts for sale’ does not mean the company sold the contract.

“Let he (Manasseh Azure) show a signed contract that TDL has entered into an agreement with his company. Let him show it. It doesn’t matter where he paid money to, he can go ahead and pay money to people on his way. Has he paid money to TDL?” he questioned.

The lawyer further stated that a receipt bearing the company name which was issued to the investigative journalist is not enough evidence that the money was paid to the company.

“He went and paid money to manager of the company, he paid money to a boy who is working there in the absence of the CEO and by that he can come [for instance] you can come to my office, Obour Minta and co and come and have a deal with my clerk and bind me with the deal? You are not serious” he told journalists shortly after meeting investigators at the office of the Special Prosecutor on Thursday.

He challenged persons who have bought contracts from his clients' company, TDL to come forth with such evidence.

“Whoever bought a contract from us should come and tell us,” he stated.

President Akufo-Addo suspended Mr Adjei after a documentary by Manasseh Azure Awuni revealed that he was allegedly engaged in selling government contracts, an allegation he (A.B. Adjei) has denied.

“The public is simply speaking words of untruth. I regret the way I am being crucified for doing nothing,” he briefly said to journalists on Thursday.

Following a referral of the matter to the special prosecutor by President Nana Akufo Addo for investigations into possible acts of corruption, Investigators at the Office of the Special Prosecutor questioned him on Thursday.