J.A. Plant Pool (GH) Limited (JAPP) and its Executive Chairman, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, have said they will vigorously challenge a lawsuit filed by Attorney-General, Dr. Dominic Ayine seeking the recovery of US$2 million under the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) contract, insisting they owe no money to the state.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the company described the action as being brought in bad faith and said it had instructed its lawyers “to challenge the suit and ensure its dismissal.”
The suit relates to a contract for the supply of road construction equipment under the DRIP initiative, signed on February 12, 2024. The Attorney-General contends that the state overpaid JAPP by US$2 million, arguing that while the contract value was stated as US$178,704,739.50, the sum of the individual line items amounted to US$176,704,739.50.
Dr. Ayine has publicly maintained that the discrepancy represents a deliberate overcharge rather than a clerical error.
JAPP, however, rejects that claim and maintains that the contract amount was properly approved before execution. According to the company, the procurement value of US$178,704,739.50 formed part of the approval granted by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) on January 10, 2024, following an application made by the Government of Ghana.
“Both the PPA approval obtained by the Government (not JA Plant Pool) and the Contract entered subsequently stated the sum of US$178,704,739.50 as the cost of the machines and equipment,” the statement said.
The company further argued that it had fully discharged its obligations under the contract and had been paid in accordance with the agreed terms.
“The Contract has since been fully performed with JA Plant Pool duly supplying all machines and equipment to the Government of Ghana. All payments required to be made under the Contract have been made in strict accordance with the terms of the Contract,” it stated.
Beyond disputing the substance of the case, JAPP criticised the manner in which the litigation became public, alleging that widespread media coverage preceded formal service of the writ.
The company said the publicity had caused “severe and unjustified reputational damage” to JAPP, the Jospong Group of Companies and their business partners.
It urged the public to disregard “the imputations of wrongdoing conveyed by the wide publication of the suit by the Attorney-General in the media” and reaffirmed that “the Jospong Group of Companies continues to be committed to the principles of transparency, accountability, lawful conduct and constructive engagement with all stakeholders, including the Government of Ghana.”
The legal dispute stems from allegations first raised by the Attorney-General during his Government Accountability Series briefing in October 2025. At the time, he announced that the state would seek a refund of US$2 million following a review of the DRIP contract and also alleged tax liabilities amounting to GH¢38.7 million relating to the importation of equipment under the programme.
JAPP subsequently disputed those claims, arguing that the issues had not been presented in their full context.
Dr. Agyepong founded the Jospong Group in 1995 and has built it into one of Ghana’s most diversified private conglomerates, with operations spanning waste management, construction, ICT, banking, and agriculture across more than 24 African countries. The group has maintained close contractual relationships with successive Ghanaian governments
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