Investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni
Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has accused officials involved in the controversial Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) contracts of breaching both the law and “basic common sense” in their dealings with the state.
Speaking on Channel One TV on November 1, 2025, Awuni said the contracts, which are currently under scrutiny by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), were riddled with irregularities, illegalities, and poor judgment.
“There were many violations of the law and many breaches of common sense, and it appeared people who were behind this deal did not act in the interest of the state,” he is quoted to have said by citinewsroom.com.
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Awuni further alleged that SML was performing auditing and accountancy functions without the requisite licence from the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG).
“Their Act states that to provide auditing and accountancy services, you must be licensed by the Institute. When we asked SML if they had the licence, their response was no,” he revealed.
He also claimed that the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) had rejected SML’s single-source procurement requests three times due to the company’s lack of experience and technical capacity.
“These contracts were approved despite clear evidence that SML did not have the competence or legal standing to provide the services,” he said, adding that the process “did not serve the national interest.”
The contracts, which aimed to provide revenue assurance services in the petroleum, mining, and liquid bulk distribution (LBD) sectors, were found to lack legitimate operational requirements.
The investigation by the OSP also revealed that key regulations under the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) and the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) were allegedly bypassed.
The OSP is set to press charges by the end of November 2025 against several individuals implicated in the SML-GRA contracts. Those expected to face prosecution include former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta; former Commissioner-Generals of the GRA, Rev Dr Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah and Emmanuel Kofi Nti; GRA officials Isaac Crentsil and Kwadwo Damoa; and former Ministry of Finance Technical Advisor Ernest Akore.
In response, President John Dramani Mahama has ordered the immediate termination of all contracts between the Government of Ghana and SML. A directive from the Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, instructed Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson to cancel all existing agreements without delay.
ID/MA
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