Dr. Dominic Ayine, the Attorney-General (A-G), has reiterated that he has proof to back up allegations of tax evasion and overpayment against JA Plant Pool, which provides the government with some DRIP equipment.
It was during the Government Accountability Series on October 22 that he first made the claim.
The business refuted the claim, stating that the A-G’s allegations of tax avoidance and excessive billing were untrue.
However, in response to JA Plant Pool’s October 24 statement, Dr. Ayine made a suggestion that he would see to it that the firm issued the reimbursement.
“I will, at the appropriate time, respond. We have investigated and we have the evidence. So if they are making that claim, we’ll come out with the truth. What I said, I stand by what I said. And if they want to challenge it, they can do so. And if they are not conforming to the demand that I’ve made, I have the courts to help me to do so,” he said in an exclusive interview with 3news.
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, raised allegations against J.A. Plant Pool (Ghana) Limited (JAPP)’s provision of heavy-duty machinery for the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), which the company’s management denied on October 24.
Through the renovation and upkeep of district roads, the Ghanaian government’s DRIP aims to increase rural accessibility, which will promote social cohesion and economic prosperity.
At a press briefing on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, as part of the Government Accountability Series, the Attorney-General (A-G) revealed that one of the cases that came before the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) Committee was the agreement between the Government of Ghana and JAPP about the supply of heavy-duty equipment in February 2024.
A-G Ayine disclosed after the publication that his office had reviewed the records to determine elements of crime before launching a case in an effort to reduce the likelihood of defence attorneys acquitting.
“The due process process revealed an overpayment of US$2 million compared to the amount specified in the DRIP contract with JAPP,” he said.
“In respect of the DRIP Programme, I have demanded a refund of Two Million United States Dollars (USD 2,000,000.00) from J.A. Plant Pool after investigations revealed financial irregularities in the District Roads Improvement Programme. Although the contract sum was USD 176 million, records showed that a total of USD 178 million was paid, resulting in an excess of USD 2 million,” the A-G noted in his statement.
In a statement released on Thursday, October 23, 2025, JAPP emphasised that the Ghanaian government did not overpay for the contract.
The release clarifies that the claimed excess is the result of a clerical error made by the approving authorities, which JAPP recommended should be fixed. It states that the contract sum as specified in the procurement process was US$178 million, not US$176 million as indicated by the A-G.
Parts of the release provided clarification, “The total contract price was stated as USD 178,704,739.50, consistent with Clause 3.1.1 of the contract, which expressly provides that “this amount represents the full contract price for the supply of the equipment by the Supplier.”
“The Public Procurement Authority’s approval document stated the amount of USD 178,704,739.50 which was consistent with the same USD 178,704,739.50 clearly stated in the contract,”
It added that: “It is therefore factually incorrect to assert that the contract sum was USD 176 million. The official contract amount, duly executed by all Parties, remains USD 178,704,739.50.”
Source: newsthemegh.com