There was panic and confusion on Tuesday at the offices of Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), following a coordinated operation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), which led to the arrest of three company directors.
The arrests, executed simultaneously at the company’s Osu and Tema offices in Accra, were part of an ongoing investigation into the controversial revenue assurance contract awarded to SML. The operation was conducted under a court warrant and backed by personnel from the National Security Secretariat.
According to sources close to the investigation, the OSP is in the advanced stages of its probe and is seeking access to electronic records and information stored on the company’s servers, believed to contain critical evidence relating to the contract in question.
The SML contract, awarded during the tenure of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, has attracted intense public scrutiny and criticism, with civil society organisations and anti-corruption campaigners questioning the transparency and value-for-money aspects of the deal.
The latest raid by the OSP adds another layer of pressure on the embattled former Minister, who is reportedly being sought by the Special Prosecutor to answer questions over several transactions — chief among them, the SML contract.
However, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has publicly expressed frustration over Mr Ofori-Atta’s apparent evasion of official summons, describing him as a “fugitive from justice” in the absence of any cooperation from the former Minister.
The unfolding developments at SML mark a significant escalation in the OSP’s pursuit of accountability in one of the most contentious procurement arrangements under the current administration.