An Accra High Court on Thursday granted a request of former Public Procurement Authority (PPA) boss Adjenim Boateng Adjei for the release of his passport.
This is to enable him to renew his British visa and to travel for business.
In granting his request, the court added that he should deposit a copy of the passport at the office of the court’s registrar after renewing the visa.
The court further reminded him that the trial begins on November 29, 2022, and that he should be present for court proceedings.
Mr AB Adjei and his brother-in-law, Mr Francis Kwaku Arhin, are standing trial on corruption and corruption-related offences.
Mr AB Adjei has been charged with 17 counts of using public office for profit and nine counts of directly and indirectly influencing the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage in awarding procurement contracts.
On the other hand, his brother-in-law was charged with one count of using public office for profit.
They both pleaded not guilty and were granted GH¢5 million with two sureties each. The sureties are each to deposit their national identification cards at the court’s registry.
Mr AB Adjei was also ordered to deposit his passport with the court until the final determination of the case.
Francis Kwaku Arhin, on the other hand, was allowed to retain his passport on compassionate grounds because he resided in the United Kingdom with his family.
The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, who initiated the action, said Mr AB Adjei improperly and unlawfully conducted and participated in tendering processes in awarding government contracts to Talent Discovery Limited without disclosing that he was a major shareholder of the company.
The SP said as a member of the governing board of PPA, Mr AB Adjei used the company as a sure bet of winning the public bids and, as the implementor of the decision of the board, unlawfully altered the decision to favour his company.
Within a short period, the SP said AB Adjei amassed a “fantastic amount” of GH₵41million in his account, the reason he was in court.
Mr. Arhin, on the other hand, was to run the company until the retirement of Mr AB Adjei from public service, and the two will subsequently share proceeds from the contracts awarded.