Evatex Logistics Limited, a mining and stevedoring company controversially awarded an auditing and revenue assurance contract at Kotoka International Airport, has threatened to sue the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) over its decision to terminate the contract. Evatex has issued a seven-day ultimatum to GACL to withdraw the termination notice, or it will head to court to seek redress, including compensation for its claimed capital investment of $64.6 million.
In a letter from its legal representatives, K-Archy & Company, Evatex expressed dissatisfaction with the termination. The company insists it had already begun fulfilling its obligations and had submitted reports to GACL.
“The purported termination is unacceptable to our client, given its capital investments in the region of $64.6 million,” the letter reads.
However, the GACL contends that Evatex failed to generate any revenue from the auditing contract four months after implementation began in April 2025, despite the deal being signed in December 2024.
Red Flags and Legal Violations in the Evatex Deal
A wave of controversy surrounds the contract, following an investigation by journalists Evans Aziamor-Mensah, Adwoa Adobea-Owusu, and Manasseh Azure Awuni. Key revelations include:
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Evatex was not licensed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG) to perform audit and revenue assurance services, a requirement under Act 1058.
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The company only added “audit, revenue assurance, and software solutions” to its stated business activities in February 2025, three months after being awarded the contract.
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Documents show Evatex had no employees or taxable income in 2022 and 2023. Even in 2024, when it received the contract, it had only one registered employee by August and paid just GHS1,000 in tax.
These revelations suggest Evatex was largely dormant prior to winning the lucrative contract, raising suspicions of impropriety and procedural breaches.
OSP Investigations and Arrests
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has launched an official probe into the deal. Key figures, including the former GACL Board Chairman, Paul Adom-Otchere, have been arrested.
A July 8 termination letter signed by GACL MD Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare cited legal breaches, particularly violations of the Procurement Act, as reasons for terminating the agreement.
Single-Source Procurement Under Question
The contract was awarded through a single-source procurement process, which itself is being questioned. GACL justified this by claiming that Evatex had a “long and successful track record”, despite offering no supporting evidence. Additionally:
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The attached Team Profile (Annexe C) mentioned in GACL’s request to the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) was blank.
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Despite these red flags, the PPA approved the deal without any questions.
Even more troubling, the contract documents show signs of backdating, with an award letter dated December 5, 2024, although internal GACL instructions to draft the letter weren’t given until December 11, after the NDC’s election victory. The contract itself was dated December 4, further fueling suspicion.
Evatex and SML Connection
Further complicating the matter is Evatex’s direct link to Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), a company under investigation for receiving over $141 million in similar contracts with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Ministry of Finance.
Key overlaps include:
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Evans Adusei is the CEO of both Evatex and SML.
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The Evatex contract team list includes top SML personnel, such as:
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Hamdam Abubakar – Head of Engineering
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Prince Opoku Sarpong – Head of IT
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Isaac Crentsil – Former Customs Commissioner, now SML’s General Manager
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Philip Jude Mensah – Former GRA Head of Legal, now at SML
The shared email address between Evatex and Evans Timbers Ltd, SML’s parent company, further solidifies the operational ties.
“If they [SML] were genuinely convinced that what they are doing is generating returns… I don’t see why you would rather metamorphose into another company,” said Ben Boakye, Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP).
The Evatex-GACL scandal raises serious questions about transparency, due diligence, and governance within Ghana’s public procurement system. While Evatex insists it has invested millions and is being unfairly treated, mounting evidence suggests that the contract was awarded under questionable legal and ethical circumstances. With the OSP’s investigation ongoing and legal action looming, this controversy is far from over.
