The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has rejected allegations circulating online regarding its procurement activities, insisting that all transactions related to laptop purchases and an office renovation contract followed proper procurement procedures.
In a statement, the board’s Media Relations Officer, Prince Kwame Minkah, addressed claims that GoldBod had engaged in inflated purchases and irregular contract awards.
According to Minkah, one of the allegations suggested that the board had purchased laptops at inflated prices. However, he said the claim had already been disproved with evidence obtained from the supplier’s official website.
He explained that documentation presented by the board showed that the laptops were purchased at prices slightly lower than the prevailing market rates for the specified models.
“First, they alleged that GoldBod bought laptops at an inflated price. The board provided evidence from the supplier’s website showing that the price at which the laptops were purchased is slightly cheaper than the open market price and remains competitive,” he said.
Minkah added that the critics who initially raised the allegation had since abandoned the claim after the evidence was presented.
Another allegation concerned a GH¢11 million office renovation contract, which critics claimed had been awarded through sole sourcing to a company linked to Stan Dogbe, the Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations.
Minkah rejected the claim, stating that the contract was not awarded through sole sourcing but through restricted tendering, a procurement method approved by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).
“The contract was not awarded through sole sourcing but through restricted tendering approved by the PPA,” he explained.
He further noted that restricted tendering was adopted because of the urgency of renovation works at Diamond House, the building that previously housed the defunct Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC). According to him, the institution needed office space quickly for newly recruited staff, making a lengthy competitive tender process impractical.
Minkah also criticised attempts by some commentators to equate restricted tendering with sole sourcing, describing the comparison as misleading.
Citing provisions of the Public Procurement Act, he said the two methods are clearly different. While sole sourcing involves awarding a contract without any competitive bidding, restricted tendering allows a limited number of contractors—typically between three and six—to submit bids for evaluation.
Responding to another claim that the contractor lacked the required certification at the time of bidding, Minkah said the allegation was based on a misunderstanding of the tender submission timeline.
Critics had pointed out that the tender letter submitted by the contractor, Correca Ghana Limited, was dated July 1, 2025, while the company’s Works and Housing Certificate was issued on July 2, 2025.
However, Minkah clarified that the date on the tender letter did not represent the actual submission date.
“The letter submitting the company’s tender was dated July 1, 2025, but it was submitted to GoldBod on July 2, 2025. By that time, the renewed Works and Housing Certificate had already been issued,” he explained.
He said the company’s tender documents, including the valid certificate, were submitted together on July 2, 2025, as confirmed by the evaluation report of the entity’s tender committee.
Minkah also rejected suggestions that the contract involved a conflict of interest with Stan Dogbe.
According to him, Correca Ghana Limited is not personally owned by Dogbe but is jointly owned by two companies—Eclaire Ghana Limited and Woezor Holdings Ghana Limited—and has been in operation since August 2017.
He added that Dogbe is no longer involved in the day-to-day operations of the companies and did not participate in any stage of the procurement process.
“Checks with the procurement unit of GoldBod will show that Mr. Stan Dogbe was not involved in the procurement or tender evaluation process leading to the award of the contract,” he stated.
Minkah further explained that Dogbe’s position as Deputy Chief of Staff does not grant him authority over procurement processes in state-owned enterprises.
The GoldBod spokesperson reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to transparency and accountability in its procurement activities.
“The Ghana Gold Board holds dear the principles of transparency and accountability and will continue to uphold these values by publishing all contracts it enters into. We have nothing to hide,” he added.
