OSP to Prosecute Former Finance Minister and Five Others Over SML Contract Scandal

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has announced plans to file criminal charges by the end of November 2025 against several high-ranking former public officials implicated in the controversial Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA)–Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) contracts.

Those expected to face prosecution include former Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta, former GRA Commissioners-General Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah and Emmanuel Kofi Nti, as well as senior officials Isaac Crentsil and Kwadwo Damoa. Also cited in the case is Ernest Akore, a former technical advisor at the Ministry of Finance.

According to the OSP, extensive investigations into the multi-million-dollar revenue assurance deal uncovered compelling evidence of corruption, abuse of office, and procurement violations.

Addressing a press conference in Accra on Thursday, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, revealed that the inquiry had exposed “clear criminal conduct” in the negotiation, approval, and execution of the SML contracts.

“There was no genuine need for contracting SML for the work it purported to perform,” Mr. Agyebeng stated, adding that “the agreements were blighted by statutory breaches.”

He further noted that SML lacked the infrastructure and technical capacity to provide the contracted services, yet received significant payments under questionable circumstances.

The OSP also disclosed that the GRA failed to provide complete documentation on its agreements with SML and its affiliates—an omission described as a “glaring breach of transparency and accountability.”

Mr. Agyebeng confirmed that formal charges would soon be filed under Ghana’s anti-corruption and procurement laws against those found culpable.

“This matter goes to the very heart of public accountability,” he emphasized. “We will ensure that those who abused their offices are held fully responsible for their actions.”

The upcoming prosecutions are expected to become one of Ghana’s most significant corruption cases in recent years, signaling the state’s renewed commitment to transparency, accountability, and good governance.

Source: modernghana

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