The SML Scandal
Last Updated:
April 21, 2026 at 10:44:30 PM
Case Summary
Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) was registered to do business on February 14, 2017. Four months after registration, the government, through the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Ministry of Finance, handpicked the company for revenue assurance contracts. On three separate occasions, the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) denied the request to use the single-source procurement method to engage SML, but the GRA disregarded the PPA and proceeded to award the contracts.
An investigation by three former journalists at The Fourth Estate—Adwoa Adobea-Owusu, Evans Aziamor Mensah and Manasseh Azure Awuni—revealed that SML had made false claims about the needless contracts that earned it more than GHS 1billion from the government of Ghana by the end of 2023. This notwithstanding, the Ministry of Finance, in June 2023, instructed the GRA to expand the scope of SML Ghana’s work.
A Ministry of Finance letter dated June 22, 2023, said the “Honourable Minister [Ken Ofori-Atta] has determined that there is the need to monitor the production and shipment of oil and gold out of the country. To this end, he wouldwill like to expand the rRevenue aAssurance work being performed by SML to include upstream oil drilling by the production companies and the gold mining companies,” the letter stated.
The finance minister did not consult the sector ministries—the Ministry of Energy or the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources. He did not consult the regulatory agencies in the sectors—the Minerals Commission and the Petroleum Commission. President Akufo-Addo asked KPMG to conduct an audit after our investigative report was published in December 2023. A “white” paper released by the presidency on the KPMG report stated that no needs assessment or consultations were conducted before the contracts were signed.
In the upstream petroleum sector, the contract said Ghana would pay SML US$0.75 for every barrel of oil produced in Ghana. The contract also mandated the state to pay SML Ghana 0.75 per cent of the total amount of gold produced in Ghana. Together with the downstream petroleum sector contract and two contracts SML had at Ghana’s ports, the company was entitled to over $500 million for the five-year contract, which was subject to another five-year renewal. Ghana had already paid $141 million to SML by the time the investigative documentary was published in December 2023.
That story occasioned a KPMG audit ordered by President Akufo-Addo, which led to the cancellation of two components of the contract and the suspension of the upstream and mining sector components. The only component that was active by the time the OSP completed its investigation in October 2025 was the downstream petroleum sector component of the contract, which had been revised to a $1.6 million monthly payment to SML.
Major Timelines and Case Updates
December 18, 2023
The Fourth Estate published the SML scandal after a year-long investigation. The story showed the Managing Director of SML admitting on camera that some of the claims the company made were false.
December 18, 2023
The three journalists who investigated the story, Adwoa Adobea-Owusu, Evans Aziamor-Mensah and Manasseh Azure Awuni, presented a petition to the OSP to investigate the SML scandal.
December 22, 2023
The Parliament of Ghana passed a resolution to investigate SML. Parliament said the multi-year contract should have been approved by the House. It directed the GRA to suspend payments made to the company until the Finance Committee of Parliament completed its investigation.
January 4, 2023
President Akufo-Addo directed the suspension of the SML contract and mandated KPMG to audit the transactions.
April 3, 2024:
KPMG completed its investigation and submitted its report to the President. Among others, the KPMG mentioned breaches of the procurement law and other statutory laws such as the Public Financial Management Act. The KPMG report (on pages 157 and 158) also provided evidence that the operations of SML were not responsible for the revenue growth or volume increment in the downstream sector contract that SML executed. The report showed that SML’s External Price Verification and Transaction Audit contracts at the ports were redundant because the GRA was already performing those functions.
April 24, 2024
President Akufo-Addo released his recommendations on the KPMG report, which, among others, called for review and termination of some components of the SML contract.
May 2024
The GRA terminated SML’s External Price Verification and Transaction Audit contracts at the ports and suspended the mining and upstream sector contracts.
January 2025
The OSP began an investigation into the SML contract. Even though the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, claimed that the investigation began in 2023 when the OSP received the petition from the journalists, evidence showed otherwise. For instance, an email sent to Manasseh Azure Awuni on January 29, 2025, said the investigation was about to begin. Also, the OSP’s diary of Action on the SML investigation showed that the first entry on the case was made on January 29, 2025.
October 30, 2025
The OSP announced its completion of the SML investigation. In a report read by the Special Prosecutor at a press conference in Accra, the OSP detailed procurement breaches and collusion between private individuals and state actors to commit corruption and corruption-related offences.
October 31, 2025
President John Dramani Mahama ordered the immediate cancellation of all existing contracts awarded to SML. The president’s order followed the completion of the OSP’s investigation.
December 11, 2025
The OSP filed corruption and corruption-related charges against seven accused persons and SML for their role in the scandal. Those charged were:
Emmanuel Kofi Nti, former Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) – 39 counts
Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta, former Minister of Finance – 28 counts
Isaac Crentsil, former Commissioner of the Customs Division, GRA – 19 counts
Evans Adusei, Chief Executive of SML – 19 counts
Ernest Darko Akore, former Chief of Staff to the Finance Minister – 12 counts
Ammishaddai Owusu Amoah, former GRA Commissioner-General – 10 counts
Kwadwo Damoah, MP for Jaman South and former Commissioner of Customs – 8 counts
Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd (corporate entity) – 18 counts
December 17, 2025
The Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice presented a formal request to the United States to extradite Ken Ofori-Atta and Ernest Akore to face trial.
January 6, 2026
The former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, was arrested and detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the United States, where he had been residing since he left Ghana on January 4, 2025. At his first hearing on January 20, 2026, the American authorities said he could not be granted bail because Ghana had filed an extradition request.
Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) was registered to do business on February 14, 2017. Four months after registration, the government, through the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Ministry of Finance, handpicked the company for revenue assurance contracts. On three separate occasions, the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) denied the request to use the single-source procurement method to engage SML, but the GRA disregarded the PPA and proceeded to award the contracts.
Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) was registered to do business on February 14, 2017. Four months after registration, the government, through the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Ministry of Finance, handpicked the company for revenue assurance contracts. On three separate occasions, the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) denied the request to use the single-source procurement method to engage SML, but the GRA disregarded the PPA and proceeded to award the contracts.
Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) was registered to do business on February 14, 2017. Four months after registration, the government, through the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Ministry of Finance, handpicked the company for revenue assurance contracts. On three separate occasions, the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) denied the request to use the single-source procurement method to engage SML, but the GRA disregarded the PPA and proceeded to award the contracts.
Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) was registered to do business on February 14, 2017. Four months after registration, the government, through the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Ministry of Finance, handpicked the company for revenue assurance contracts. On three separate occasions, the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) denied the request to use the single-source procurement method to engage SML, but the GRA disregarded the PPA and proceeded to award the contracts.
Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) was registered to do business on February 14, 2017. Four months after registration, the government, through the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Ministry of Finance, handpicked the company for revenue assurance contracts. On three separate occasions, the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) denied the request to use the single-source procurement method to engage SML, but the GRA disregarded the PPA and proceeded to award the contracts.