Investigation conducted by DAILY GUIDE has revealed that some private security companies in the country are operating without approved licences.

This has been confirmed by officials of the Ministry of Interior, the body mandated by law to issue licenses to private security companies for their operations.

Checks by the paper at the Ministry of Interior revealed that two security companies, which do not have operating licenses, have been shortlisted for Newmont’s security contract.

They are Quemic Security Company, a South African security firm that prides itself with the provision dynamic and unique integrated security solutions to the public and private sectors and Protea Coin, another South African security company.

Interestingly, most of these defaulting companies are owned by foreigners with some Ghanaians acting as front men while the few wholly-owned Ghanaian companies with licenses which bided for the contract were virtually sidelined.

Officials of Newmont Ghana are tight-lipped on the names of the said companies.

According to Director of External Affairs and Communications at Newmont Ghana, Adiki Ayitevie, “As we are still in the bidding stage, we are unable to disclose the names of the short-listed bidders.”

According to her, the list of bidders was compiled after a detailed pre-qualification exercise and review which was undertaken by Newmont’s Supply Chain Management and Security Departments.

She however told the paper that “the winner of the tender bid will be required to have the requisite license to operate as a security company in Ghana prior to commencement of their contract in 2012.”

Though both companies are dully registered, they do not have licenses to operate in Ghana as required by law.

The paper has gathered that the two companies have applied for operational licenses which would take some time before they would be issued.

Justina Bediako, Schedule Officer in charge of the processing and issuance of licenses to these private security companies at the Ministry of Interior, said the Ministry has started monitoring the operations of some of these companies.

“As far as I am concerned, they are not supposed to operate so if we are able to locate them, we will close them down,” she told Daily Guide.

The sector Ministry is said to have begun an extensive investigation into the activities of these private security companies operating in the country.

Madam Bediako noted that her outfit would not hesitate to take punitive measures against such companies.