Daily Searchlight Alleges $1.7bn Highway Contract Went to Uncertified Company ‎

The Daily Searchlight newspaper has alleged, in the first instalment of an investigative series, that Ghana's Parliament approved $1.7 billion in funding for the Accra-Kumasi Highway project to a company that lacked a certificate of incorporation. The claim appeared on the paper's front page on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, with the full report carried on page 2.

What is publicly confirmed about the project

Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson told Parliament during the July 23, 2026 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review that $1.7 billion had been ring-fenced in a dedicated account at the Bank of Ghana for the Accra-Kumasi Expressway, part of the government's "Big Push" infrastructure programme.

He said the funds would only be used once the main construction contract is awarded, with procurement for that contract expected to begin in September 2026.

The 176-kilometre, six-lane expressway linking Ghana's two largest cities is being developed through Accra-Kumasi Expressway Limited, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up by the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).

Parliament approved the concession agreement for that vehicle in December 2025, with the Ministry of Roads and Highways as the contracting authority and a 50-year concession period before the project transfers to the Ghana Highways Authority.

A conflicting detail
Graphic Online, reporting on the December 2025 parliamentary approval, described Accra-Kumasi Expressway Ltd as "a private limited liability company duly incorporated as a special purpose vehicle."

That description conflicts with the Daily Searchlight's claim that the company lacked a certificate of incorporation. It is possible the two reports refer to different entities, or to a status that changed between December 2025 and the paper's investigation, but this could not be confirmed from what is publicly available.

What remains unverified
The Daily Searchlight's page 2 report, which would name the company in question and detail the paper's evidence, was not available for this piece. This is a serious allegation involving a large public expenditure, and readers should treat it as the paper's claim, part of a developing investigation, rather than as an established fact, until Part 2 and further verification follow.

Mustapha Bature Sallama
Medical/ Science Communicator,
Private Investigator, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Analysis,

International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding. ( USIP)

[email protected]
+233555275880

References
Public record on the project (independently confirmed)

Ghana Business News, "Ghana government secures $1.7b for Accra-Kumasi Expressway," July 26, 2026. https://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2026/07/26/ghana-government-secures-1-7b-for-accra-kumasi-expressway/

Rainbow Radio Online, "Government clears 70% of Accra-Kumasi expressway route, secures $1.7bn funding," July 23, 2026. https://rainbowradioonline.com/2026/07/23/government-clears-70-of-accra-kumasi-expressway-route-secures-1-7bn-funding/

The Sikaman Times, "$1.7 billion reserved for Accra-Kumasi expressway under 'Big Push,'" July 23, 2026. https://sikamantimes.com/1-7-billion-reserved-for-accra-kumasi-expressway-under-big-push/

Graphic Online, "Parliament okays agreement for Accra-Kumasi expressway," Dec. 2025 — source of the conflicting "duly incorporated" description. https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-parliament-okays-agreement-for-accra-kumasi-expressway.html

ModernGhana, "Parliament approves concession for Accra–Kumasi Expressway project," Dec. 18, 2025. https://www.modernghana.com/news/1457546/parliament-approves-concession-for-accrakumasi.html

Wikipedia, "Accra–Kumasi Expressway." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accra%E2%80%93Kumasi_Expressway

The Herald Ghana, "CAGD debunks GH¢11 billion payment on Accra-Kumasi Expressway," July 17, 2026 — shows the CAGD has already had to publicly rebut an earlier viral claim about this project's finances. https://theheraldghana.com/cagd-debunks-gh%C2%A211-billion-payment-on-accra-kumasi-expressway/

Dubawa Ghana, "Buttey's claim NPP awarded Accra-Kumasi Expressway contract, misleading," Aug. 20, 2026 — fact-check of a related but distinct claim about the same project. https://ghana.dubawa.org/butteys-claim-npp-awarded-accra-kumasi-expressway-contract-misleading/