Sankofaonline News Desk : November 18, 2025.
In a dramatic escalation of Ghana’s anti-corruption fight, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has brought forth a staggering array of charges against eight high-profile individuals, including former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta. The announcement confirms previous indications of deep-seated irregularities uncovered by the OSP’s exhaustive investigation into controversial government contracts.
The formal indictment, filed at the Criminal Division of the High Court in Accra on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, encompasses 78 counts of corruption and corruption-related offenses. At the heart of the prosecution’s case is the alleged conspiracy to commit the criminal offence of directly or indirectly influencing the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage in the award of a contract. The charges cite serious breaches of Ghana’s criminal statutes and public financial governance laws, specifically section 23(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), and section 92(2)(b) of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663). The case, officially registered as CR/0106/2026, marks a watershed moment in the nation’s efforts to hold powerful political figures accountable.
Mr. Ofori-Atta is not alone in the dock. The charge sheet details a comprehensive list of collaborators from both the public sector and the corporate world, suggesting a complex, institutional scheme. Among the seven other individuals and the entity charged are senior figures previously holding influential positions within government agencies: Ernest Darko Akore, former Chef de Cabinet to the Minister of Finance; Emmanuel Kofi Nti, former Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA); Rev Dr Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, another former Commissioner-General of the GRA; Isaac Crentsil, former Commissioner of the Customs Division of the GRA, who transitioned to a General Manager role at SML; Kwadwo Damoah, also a former Commissioner of the Customs Division of the GRA and currently the Member of Parliament for Jaman South; Evans Adusei; and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), the private company at the center of the contentious contracts.
These sweeping charges are the direct result of the OSP’s intensive investigation into alleged corruption and financial irregularities surrounding lucrative contracts forged between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML). Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng had preempted the impending charges during a press briefing held on Thursday, October 30, 2025, where he confirmed that his team had unearthed compelling evidence of corruption, abuse of office, and significant violations of procurement laws by senior echelons within the Ministry of Finance, the GRA, and individuals affiliated with SML.
Beyond the criminal prosecution, the Special Prosecutor announced his office’s commitment to aggressively pursuing the recovery of funds deemed to have been unlawfully diverted from the state treasury. Mr. Agyebeng stated unequivocally that the OSP would seek to retrieve GH₵125 million from SML, classifying the amount as unjust enrichment obtained through unlawful means. This substantial sum, he explained, represents overpayments made to SML and is targeted for recovery as part of the state’s restitution efforts. Underscoring the gravity of the malfeasance, the Special Prosecutor stressed that there was no genuine need for contracting SML for the work it purported to perform, casting the entire contractual arrangement as fundamentally flawed and potentially criminal.
The prosecution and recovery efforts are expected to set a powerful legal precedent for accountability in public finance management, signaling a new era in Ghana’s fight against corruption.
