Questions over EOCO’s role at Health Minister’s meeting with Awerco
A meeting meant to resolve a payment dispute between the Ministry of Health and contractor Awerco took an unexpected turn on Friday, 10 July 2026, after officers from the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) showed up and questioned the contractor.
The incident is now raising fresh concerns about the line between contract enforcement and criminal investigation in government procurement.
What happened at the meeting
Sources familiar with the meeting said discussions were focused on one thing: outstanding payments owed to Awerco under the Weija-Gbawe Paediatric Hospital medical equipment contract.
Awerco told the Minister that the long delay in payment had left it unable to settle specialist subcontractors and suppliers who helped deliver and install the equipment. The company asked for a portion of what was owed so it could meet those commitments while talks on the balance continued.
But midway through, the tone shifted. According to those present, the Minister left the room. Shortly after, EOCO officers who were at the meeting approached Awerco representatives for questioning.
Neither the Ministry of Health nor EOCO has publicly explained why the anti-crime agency was there, or whether Awerco is under any formal investigation.
The background to the dispute
The Weija-Gbawe Paediatric Hospital equipment contract has been in dispute for years.
Awerco insists it delivered, installed and commissioned all contracted equipment. The government has withheld payment, citing a World Bank declaration of “misprocurement.”
Awerco has rejected that finding and has challenged the basis of it, including the pricing data the World Bank used as a comparator.
The company has consistently argued that this is a commercial matter. “Payment disputes should be resolved through contract, arbitration or the courts — not by inviting law enforcement,” a source close to the contractor said.
Legal observers agree. Unless there is clear evidence of fraud or criminal conduct, payment issues between government and contractors are typically civil, not criminal.
The big questions now
The EOCO presence has left many asking:
- Why were EOCO officers at a contractual meeting?
- What legal basis justified questioning the contractor?
- Has any criminal complaint been made against Awerco?
- If not, why was a law enforcement agency involved in a payment discussion?
With medical equipment already delivered and installed, but subcontractors and financiers reportedly still unpaid, the stakes are high. The delay is not just a government-contractor issue — it’s affecting businesses down the chain.
Calls for transparency
In the interest of public trust, both the Ministry of Health and EOCO are being urged to explain exactly what happened and on what authority.
“Public confidence depends on seeing that state institutions act fairly, lawfully and without intimidation,” one observer noted.