Bawumia dragged to OSP over PDS Scandal

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has been dragged to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) over his alleged involvement in the Power Distribution Services (PDS) scandal.

Three individuals, Issifu Seidu Kudus Gbeadese, Elikem Kotoko, and Stephen Kwabena Attuh, have submitted a petition to the OSP.

Dr. Bawumia, who is also the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahama has since been accused for his role in the controversial agreement.

The PDS deal, which granted the company a 25-year concession to manage the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), was signed in March 2019 but quickly became contentious. By July 2019, the agreement was suspended over allegations of fraud. The suspension led the U.S. government to withhold $190 million in funding from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) that was intended to support Ghana's energy sector, stressing the importance of private sector involvement.

The fallout from the PDS deal has drawn widespread criticism, including from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, who has vowed to thoroughly investigate the scandal and hold those responsible accountable.

In their petition, dated Tuesday, September 3, the three individuals call on the OSP to probe Dr. Bawumia’s role in authorizing the downgrade of the required Bank Guarantee to an Insurance Guarantee in the PDS agreement. They argue that this decision contributed to a chain of events that led to the loss of $519 million in funding from the MCC.

The petitioners also seek an investigation into the circumstances that allowed the conditions precedent in the agreement to be altered into conditions subsequent, a change that ultimately facilitated the transfer of ECG’s assets to PDS. Additionally, they are demanding the recovery of $4.24 million in taxpayer money that was used by PDS to secure the Insurance Guarantee.

Exercising their rights under the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and the Office of Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), the petitioners are urging the Special Prosecutor to investigate whether the Vice President played any role in the PDS scandal and whether he bears any responsibility for the consequences of the deal.

Read full petition below: