ASEPA petitions OSP to investigate Frontiers Healthcare Services contract

•ASEPA has petitioned OSP over Frontiers COVID-19 testing at KIA

• The group states that little information was made known to the public

• They want the OSP to investigate circumstances surrounding the contact and who the beneficiaries are

Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA), has sent a petition to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the contract between Frontiers Healthcare Services and the Ghana Airports Company Limited.

According to the Civil Society Organisation, little information has been made about the agreement which allows Frontiers Healthcare Services to undertake COVID-19 testing at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).

In a petition dated August 11, 2021, and copied to the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, ASEPA said, “the Minister of Health announced that a total of about $17million has been accumulated from the testing of passengers at the Kotoka International Airport since last year, when the borders were opened, and out of that amount, only a paltry $1million in terms of revenue was accrued to Ghana.”

It added that “this contractual in-balance in what is supposed to be a partnership arrangement, is cause for worry for a number of Civil Society leaders and well-meaning Ghanaians, who are raising a number of questions regarding the agreement, whether it was in the best interest of the State.”

ASEPA is tasking the Special Prosecutor to establish who signed the contract, what are the terms of the contract and the processes leading to the selection of Frontiers Health Services by the Ghana Airports Company.

Further, ASEPA stated in their letter that, the Special Prosecutor should investigate the background of Frontiers Health Services and also establish who are the shareholders and its country of origin, as well as the beneficial owners of the company.

“(Investigate) the total amount of money generated from the Covid-19 testing at the airport from the inception of this agreement till 31 July 2021. Investigate allegations of money laundering against Frontiers Health Services in respect of the repatriation of monies generated from the Covid-19 testing at the Airport,” the petition read further.

The Ghana Airports Company, signed a contract with Frontier Healthcare Services on September 1, 2020, to undertake COVID-19 antigen tests at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).

This was after the government of Ghana implemented a policy that required all passengers arriving at KIA to be tested for coronavirus at a fee of 150 dollars and 150 dollars for those departing.

The COVID-19 testing at the Kotoka International Airport yielded more than $17million ($17,359,500) between September and December 2020, the Minister for Transport Kwaku Ofori-Asiamah has announced.

He said per the contract the Frontiers Healthcare Services Limited was to retain more than $16million ($16,202,200) for its services, while the Ghana Airport Company Limited received $1,157,300 as royalties.

But, the Minority in Parliament, at the time, was sceptical about the deal and indicated that if Frontiers Healthcare Services making $16.2million from Covid-19 testing in four months, whereas Ghana earns $1.1million, it is evidence that the country has been ripped off in the arrangement.

ASEPA also wants Kissi Agyabeng to, “investigate allegations of procurement breaches against the Managing Director of Ghana Airports Company and the Minister of Aviation in respect of this Frontiers contract” and also produce a corruption risk assessment report on the transaction and initiate criminal prosecutions against all persons found culpable in, “this rip-off transaction.”

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