The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has conducted simultaneous raids on the offices of Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) as part of an ongoing investigation into a controversial contract worth over $500 million, allegedly awarded during the tenure of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
The operation, carried out with the support of operatives from the National Security Secretariat, targeted SML’s offices in Osu and Tema. It was authorised by a court-issued search warrant.
Sources close to the operation revealed that the OSP is at an advanced stage in its probe and is focused on retrieving electronic evidence from SML’s servers.
The contract in question is one of several under scrutiny by the OSP, which is investigating alleged financial irregularities connected to Ofori-Atta’s time in office.
The Special Prosecutor recently declared Ofori-Atta a fugitive from justice after he failed to honour a summons regarding this and other financial matters.
SML, registered initially as Strategic Mobilisation Enhancement Limited (SMEL), was formed shortly after the New Patriotic Party (NPP) assumed office in 2017. The company has been flagged for receiving substantial contracts from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) through questionable single-source procurement processes.
According to reports, the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) rejected requests for approval on three separate occasions, citing SML’s lack of experience in the services it was contracted to perform.
Despite these denials, SML secured contracts reportedly worth over $100 million annually. Its role was later expanded to cover operations in Ghana’s petroleum and mining sectors.
The OSP’s investigation is ongoing.
Last month, the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) detained Isaac Crentsil, former Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), in connection with ongoing investigations into the controversial contract awarded SML.
Sources familiar with the matter confirmed that Mr Crentsil was picked up for questioning regarding his role in the award and operationalisation of the SML deal, which has been under intense public scrutiny.
The NIB’s action follows growing concerns over possible irregularities and suspected collusion by top officials in designing and implementing the revenue assurance contract, reportedly worth millions of Ghana cedis. The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and other anti-corruption agencies are also believed to be monitoring the case closely.
Mr Crentsil, who served as Commissioner of Customs from 2015 to 2019, is alleged to have played a key role during the initial stages of the SML engagement.
It remains unclear whether formal charges have been filed, but sources within the security services indicate that further interrogations are underway and more former and current officials may be invited for questioning.
The SML contract has attracted widespread criticism from civil society organisations, opposition parties and some Members of Parliament, who argue that it lacked transparency and value for money.
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has recently issued statements rebutting the company’s claims and has yet to issue an official statement on Mr Crentsil’s detention.
