The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has revealed that Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) lacked the tools and technical expertise to deliver the audit and revenue assurance services it was contracted to provide for the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, October 30, Mr. Agyebeng said investigations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) uncovered serious statutory breaches, conflicts of interest, and unjustified payments linked to the SML contracts.
“There was no genuine need for contracting SML for the work it purported to perform,” he stated, describing the agreements as “blighted by statutory breaches.” He added that the company lacked both the infrastructure and professional capacity to execute the assigned tasks.
The Special Prosecutor also noted that the GRA failed to submit full agreements between SML and its third-party collaborators, undermining transparency and accountability in the procurement process.
Mr. Agyebeng alleged that the entire arrangement was driven by “self-serving official patronage, sponsorship, and promotions based on false and unverified claims.” He named former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta as “the chief patron, supporter, and promoter” of the SML deal, asserting that both Ofori-Atta and the company’s management “were criminally minded in their operations.”
The probe concluded that payments made to SML were unjustified and represented a misuse of public funds, as the contract was not based on any genuine operational need.
These revelations mark a major development in the ongoing investigation into the SML–GRA contract, which has drawn widespread scrutiny over alleged procurement irregularities, conflicts of interest, and lack of value for money.