The Office of the Special Prosecutor has disclosed that Prof. Ransford Gyampo who leads the Shippers Authority, called and sent texts to his office when the Office of the Special Prosecutor and National Security Operatives raided the offices of SML some weeks ago.
This revelation comes on the back of Gyampo’s calls on the OSP to be careful he is not pursuing Ken Ofori-Atta out of personal vendetta or to impress the current president to keep his job.
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In a statement condemning Gyampo, the OSP could not fathom why the CEO would place calls and send texts to their office when they were carrying out their investigation of SML, which has been said to be involved in some shady dealings.
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The OSP, in its statement, warned against interfering in its work by public officials.
Background
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), with support from the National Security Secretariat, conducted simultaneous raids at the Osu and Tema offices of Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) as part of its ongoing investigation into the SML scandal.
The investigation centers on contracts between SML and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) for revenue assurance and monitoring services in the petroleum and mining sectors. Under the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration, SML was engaged to provide real-time monitoring to enhance tax compliance and revenue assurance in the downstream petroleum sector. In 2023, the contract was expanded to include upstream petroleum activities and the mining sector, drawing increased public scrutiny due to its scope and cost.
By the time the contract was suspended in 2024 following a KPMG audit, SML had already received GH¢1.06 billion, with the total potential cost to the state projected at GH¢5.17 billion over five years.
The KPMG report uncovered significant irregularities, including the lack of required approvals from the Public Procurement Authority and Parliament, raising questions about due diligence and compliance in public contracting.
The SML scandal is also notable for its connection to former Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta, who has been declared a suspect and wanted fugitive in relation to this and other cases.
