Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has criticized the controversial Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) contract, claiming that the government incurred losses exceeding GH₵500 million on services that were unnecessary.
Speaking on JoyPrime’s Prime Insight program, Manasseh explained that the SML contract, which involved external price verification and transaction audits at the ports, duplicated work already performed by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) through its customs system.
“If you look at the KPMG report and former President Akufo-Addo’s white paper on the KPMG audit, it stated that these services were already integrated into the customs systems. They were not needed, yet the government paid over 500 million cedis for them,” he said.
He urged Ghanaians to consult official documents to fully understand the scale of financial mismanagement and oversight failure.
“Anyone who wants to know the truth should read President Akufo-Addo’s white paper on the KPMG report. Even before the Special Prosecutor intervened, it was clear that the external price verification and transaction audits claimed by SML at the ports were unnecessary.”
According to Manasseh, the KPMG audit prompted the government to take corrective action, but only after substantial financial losses had already occurred.
“Those contracts were cancelled immediately following the KPMG audit,” he disclosed.
He expressed disappointment that, despite clear findings from credible institutions, the state had already paid vast sums for redundant services.
“We paid over 500 million Ghana cedis for services that KPMG, the presidency, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), and any reasonable observer agreed were unnecessary. It was an outright loss of 500 million cedis,” he stressed.
Source: MyNewsGh.com
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