The Togolese Public Procurement Regulation Committee (CRD) of the ARCOP Togo issued decision no. 024-2026 on June 19, 2026, definitively closing the case on allegations of irregularities surrounding the international tender for the Lomé electrical network expansion project (PEREL PLUS).
Following a thorough investigation and testimony from the CEET’s Public Procurement Responsible Officer, the CRD confirmed that the claims lacked merit and were not substantiated by evidence.
International tender cleared after thorough scrutiny
Two anonymous complaints filed with ARCOP Togo on March 28 and April 8, 2026, raised concerns about procedural flaws in the PEREL PLUS tender managed by CEET. The allegations included:
- the creation of a restricted list without prior prequalification,
- a disproportionate number of foreign firms participating,
- the absence of market lot allocation,
- and the reapplication of excessively stringent qualification criteria.
However, the CRD’s findings revealed that the process was rigorously supervised by an official prequalification phase, which successfully filtered nine qualified candidates out of fifteen initial expressions of interest.
PEREL PLUS project gains technical approval amid regulatory debate
The tender documentation, tied to financing from the Agence française de développement, received non-objection clearance from both the Togolese National Public Procurement Control Directorate (DNCCP) and the AFD.
The Committee emphasized that in externally funded projects, donor requirements may supersede certain national procurement rules, particularly regarding the structuring of contract lots.