After nearly a year of back and forth, the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) has finally provided JoyNews with information on the controversial COVID-19 testing contract between it and Frontiers Healthcare Services Ltd at the Kotoka International Airport.
This comes after the Right to Information (RTI) Commission imposed and upheld a GH¢200,000 fine on GACL for failing to comply with directives to release details of the contract under the RTI Act.
In a letter dated October 11, 2023, GACL provided answers to questions submitted by JoyNews in an RTI request filed on September 9, 2022, seeking information on the selection, award, terms and finances related to the COVID-19 testing contract.
GACL quoted the Transport minister’s explanation of events leading up to awarding the contract to Frontiers in September 2020 after purportedly receiving clearance from the FDA on the company’s testing equipment.
According to GACL, the contract was essentially for the rental of airport space to Frontiers and needed no PPA approval.
The company, however, says it initially sought PPA advice which indicated the contract fell outside procurement rules.
The letter also revealed that as of September 2022, Frontiers Healthcare had accrued over $84 million from arrival testing and GHS 29 million from departure testing.
Government received under $6 million and GHS 1.5 million respectively.
This is despite the fact the airport company in their earlier response had insisted they could not confirm the amount generated by the testing at the airport because monies were paid directly to Frontiers Healthcare Services Limited.
The revelations provide new details on the controversial contract plagued by allegations of irregularities and lack of transparency since 2020.
JoyNews’ nearly year-long battle to get information using Ghana’s RTI law paid off after persistence and the imposition of the hefty fine by the RTI Commission on GACL.
The information provides some clarification and transparency on a questionable COVID-19 testing contract that granted a new company massive revenues at the expense of Ghana during a public pandemic.
Timelines of the exchanges between JoyNews and the Ghana Airport Company Limited leading to the fine by the RTI Commission:
- September 9, 2022: JoyNews submits an RTI request to the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) asking for information related to the COVID-19 testing contract with Frontiers Healthcare Services Ltd. This includes a copy of the contract and financial details.
- September 19, 2022: GACL responds saying they cannot disclose the contract or financial information due to exemptions under Section 10 of the RTI Act. They also say they do not have information on the procurement processes leading to Frontiers’ selection and could also not confirm the amount of money
- February 3, 2023: The RTI Commission orders GACL to release the contract and other requested information to JoyNews within 7 days, stating it does not fall under the exemptions claimed.
- August 2023: JoyNews complains to the RTI Commission that GACL has failed to comply with the order to release the information.
- August 23, 2023: The RTI Commission imposes a GHC 200,000 administrative penalty on GACL for failing to comply with its directives to release the information to JoyNews.
- September 7, 2023: GACL writes to the RTI Commission requesting a 1-week extension to gather and submit the information. They also request a waiver of the GHC 200,000 penalty.
- September 2023: The RTI Commission denies GACL’s request for a waiver of the penalty but grants a final 1-week extension for submitting the information. The Commission states it has no power to waive the penalty already imposed.
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