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The Manhyia Palace, the seat of the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has responded to claims of allegedly influencing the release of Ghanaian broadcast journalist and former Board Chair of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), Paul Adom-Otchere, following his detention by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
In an interview on Opemsuo TV, a media outlet affiliated with the palace, a senior figure identified only as “Prof” denied any direct involvement by the palace in the matter.
During a speech following his release on Friday, 1 August, Mr Adom-Otchere expressed gratitude to senior members of the Manhyia Palace for reportedly calling the authorities to secure his release, naming some individuals from the royal household. The comment has since sparked controversy, with sections of the public raising concerns about potential interference in the delivery of justice.
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An image of two elders entering the Manhyia Palace
In response, Prof clarified that no official pressure had been exerted on the OSP from the Manhyia Palace. He noted that any chief who may have intervened did so in a personal capacity, not on behalf of the palace.
He explained:
Manhyia operates through a set of procedures which are clear to everyone. When it comes to official correspondence, we have a Chief of Staff and Secretary, and every chief has their own secretary. A statement made by Otumfuo’s linguist can also be considered as coming from the Manhyia Palace.
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He added:
So, if some chiefs made any statements, it was in their individual capacity and not on behalf of Manhyia. His gratitude should therefore be directed to those individual chiefs, and not attributed to Manhyia.
Prof also cautioned the public against attributing statements or actions to the Manhyia Palace without following due process.
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Meanwhile, the OSP has officially charged Mr Adom-Otchere along with two others: Otchere Kwame Baffour Awuah, Group Executive, Commercial Services at GACL, and Albert Adjetey Adjei-Laryea, Chief Executive Officer of Devnest Systems.
The charges form part of ongoing investigations into a revenue assurance contract between the Ghana Airports Company Limited and a private firm reportedly owned by the proprietor of Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd (SML).
The probe centres on potential breaches of procurement regulations, particularly the award of a sole-sourced contract to a company other than the one officially approved by the GACL Board.