By Lawrence Odoom/Phalonzy
The Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI), has apprehended four individuals affiliated with the defunct Power Distribution Services Ltd (PDS), as part of a sweeping inquiry into the alleged diversion of funds purportedly belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana.
The disclosure was made by the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, who confirmed that the arrests form a key strand of the government’s anti-graft campaign,Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) an initiative instituted to trace, retrieve, and secure public resources suspected to have been misappropriated.
In a statement posted on Facebook on Monday, May 4, 2026, Kwakye Ofosu revealed that the suspects were taken into custody last week as investigators scrutinize the movement of substantial sums of money believed to be linked to ECG.
The individuals identified by the Minister are Philip Ayensu, Viraj Phat, Sophia Korkor, and Justice Menka-Premoh.
“The Bureau of National Intelligence arrested the following persons affiliated to PDS last week as part of investigations into the transfer of large sums of money believed to belong to ECG,” Kwakye Ofosu stated.
He further noted that the quartet has been granted bail as investigations proceed.
“The quartet has since been given bail pending further investigations,” he added.
Authorities have yet to disclose the precise quantum of funds under investigation or indicate whether additional arrests are imminent as the probe deepens.
PDS took over the operations of ECG on March 1, 2019, under a 20-year concession agreement backed by the Millennium Challenge Compact between the Government of Ghana and the United States’ Millennium Challenge Corporation.
“The Bureau of National Intelligence arrested the following persons affiliated to PDS last week as part of investigations into the transfer of large sums of money believed to belong to ECG,” Kwakye Ofosu wrote in a Facebook post titled “Oral Update.”
He identified the individuals as Philip Ayensu, Viraj Phat, Sophia Korkor, and Justice Menka-Premoh, adding that they have since been granted bail while investigations continue.
PDS took over the operations of ECG on March 1, 2019, under a 20-year concession agreement backed by the Millennium Challenge Compact between the Government of Ghana and the United States’ Millennium Challenge Corporation.
However, the deal collapsed within months after government investigations found that key payment guarantees—reportedly issued by Qatar-based Al Koot Insurance and Reinsurance Company—were fraudulent. Courts in Qatar, including the Court of Cassation, later upheld findings that the guarantees were forged.
The termination of the concession came at a steep cost, with Ghana losing about $190 million in compact funding from the Millennium Challenge Corporation.
PDS subsequently initiated arbitration proceedings in London, seeking damages and a declaration of wrongful termination.
The development marks a significant escalation in the government’s efforts to unravel financial irregularities within the energy sector and underscores the renewed vigor of ORAL in pursuing accountability.