Former Finance Minister Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta, Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), and six other people have been formally charged with corruption and related offences related to a contentious revenue-assurance contract by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
The accused are allegedly involved in a complicated scheme that cost the state GHS 1.4 billion, according to the OSP’s charge sheet.
Important fees consist of:
• Conspiracy to unfairly influence
procurement procedures and procurement fraud.
• Making use of public office for private benefit, such as by manipulating contracts to SML’s advantage.
• Causing the state to suffer financial losses by paying for services that were either grossly overpriced or never provided.
• Willful oppression and violations of the law governing public procurement.
Among the defendants listed in the case are:
Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, Ernest Darko Akore, a former Ministry of Finance Chef de Cabinet. Others are: Emmanuel Kofi Nti, a former Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Commissioner-General, Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, a former
GRA Commissioner-General, Former GRA Commissioner of the Customs Division, Isaac Crentsil, another former Customs Commissioner,
Kwadwo Damoah. Evans Adusei, the CEO and mastermind of SML.
and Strategic Mobilization Ghana Limited (SML) itself.
According to the prosecution, the accused conspired between June 2017 and December 2024 to falsely award contracts to SML.
According to court documents, the contracts in question deal with “transaction audit services, external price verification, and measurement audit” for petroleum products.
Despite its inability to provide the promised services, SML allegedly received substantial payments.
Payments were made automatically without regard to deliverables or actual performance.
Despite the fact that the contract allegedly lacked parliamentary approval, Ofori-Atta, the first accused, is charged with facilitating a payment of GHS 468.5 million to SML for services in 2019.
The prosecution further alleges that SML’s technological capabilities were
misrepresented, including the claim that it possessed “exclusive patented technology” in revenue assurance.
Crucially, it is purported that single-source procurement was used to award the contracts, avoiding competitive bidding.
On November 18, 2025, the charges were submitted to the Accra High Court.
Frank Davies, Ofori-Atta’s lawyer, says his client has not yet been formally served with the charge sheet. According to him, he only became aware of the charges via media reports, raising questions about proper procedural service.
In February 2025, the OSP had declared Ofori-Atta a fugitive after he reportedly failed to appear for questioning.
The OSP had demanded his physical presence but reportedly rejected a request by his lawyers to conduct virtual questioning on medical grounds.
At the same time, other OSP investigations, including into the National Cathedral project, were still ongoing, with officials stressing that each case would proceed independently based on the evidence available.
The OSP indicated that preliminary findings had raised significant questions about procurement processes, financial accountability, and oversight, but emphasized that no conclusions had yet been reached.
Investigators were expected to invite additional witnesses, review contractual documents, and assess the roles of various public officials connected to the project.
According to the OSP, the goal was to ensure transparency, fairness, and due process, while assuring the public that updates would be provided as soon as legally permissible.
Story by: Benedict Wiafe
