Sam George Petitions AG to Probe $3.4m Payment for Cyber Security Authority Project

The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, has officially petitioned the Attorney General and Minister for Justice to initiate a full-scale criminal investigation into the execution of a $13 million contract awarded for the construction of the permanent headquarters of the Ghana Cyber Security Authority (CSA).

The infrastructure project, which remains stuck at the substructure stage, has already drained millions of dollars from the state coffers under circumstances the sector Minister describes as highly suspicious and completely disproportionate to the actual work visible on the ground.

The controversy deepens as the two main contractors behind the project, Rayzone Group Limited and Mendanha & Sousa, are reported to be demanding an additional $4 million solely to cover the cost of the foundation work they have already executed. This demand comes despite the firms allegedly receiving an initial $3.4 million for the same phase of construction.

Compounding the financial irregularities, Mr. George further disclosed that an additional $10 million has also been paid for specialized cybersecurity software for the Authority, which has still not been delivered to the state.

Addressing journalists at Parliament House following a tense appearance before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), a visibly frustrated Samuel Nartey George questioned the financial logic behind the disbursements made by the authority's previous administration. The Ningo-Prampram MP stated that his outfit had raised red flags as far back as mid-last year, prompting his formal complaint to the state’s chief legal advisor.

“I cannot understand how $3.4 million has been paid, and all we have is a foundation. A building is supposed to cost about $13 million, and almost $10 million of it has been paid, yet you don't see anything beyond the foundation,” the Minister lamented to reporters.

The Ministry is now demanding an immediate halt to further disbursements pending a comprehensive structural and financial audit to determine whether value for money has been obtained for the amounts already spent.

Mr. George expressed optimism that the Public Accounts Committee's public interest in the matter would trigger deeper scrutiny and swift action by the Attorney General's Department. He concluded with a stern warning to public officials and private entities involved in the transaction, insisting that anyone found culpable should face strict sanctions and that aggressive recoveries must be pursued in the interest of the state.