Some security operatives of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) raided the offices of Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) on Monday, June 10, 2025, at their offices in Osu and Tema simultaneously, with the support of the National Security Secretariat.
The raid was said to be linked to the OSP’s investigations into the SML scandal, which is at an advanced stage – the same SML scandal in which the OSP is investigating former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, among others.
Following the OSP’s actions, the leadership of SML has strongly criticised and chastised the OSP, citing significant damages to its properties during the raid.
However, the OSP has refuted SML’s claims, maintaining its stance of acting professionally. This has resulted in what appears to be a back-and-forth between the anti-corruption agency and the company, with both providing contrasting statements on what transpired.
What SML is saying?
Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited, reacting to the OSP’s raid on its offices in Osu and Tema, described it as unlawful, stating that they were not shown any warrant permitting the searches.
Speaking on JoyNews on June 11, 2025, the Director of Support Services for SML, Dr Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, stated that; “We want to place on record that we didn’t see any warrant or be served to our staff in any meaningful way or verifiable way during the raid. When they went to Osu, they said they had a court order. When our officer there asked them they said they have a court order. Give it to us and the person walks away.
“When they went to Tema and the officer they met asked for warrant, they pointed something to her, not something that they allowed her to read or verify in any way or even take a copy. So we don’t have a retained copy of the search document that they claim they have, which is the warrant that was obtained way back in April. We don’t know which year and this undermines procedure integrity of the operation that went on yesterday in our place.”
She added that the company will seek redress in court.
“We are on the table consulting and preparing ourselves to go to court. In Osu they didn’t assault them but in Tema, the force they used was traumatic. The server room is a security zone and it’s locked. A field officer doesn’t have access to a server room. They don’t have password to the server room so, they broke the door to the server room which is a security door, and then asked them to give the password,” she said.
She also stated that; “When they saw military men, they were traumatized. They [operatives] were trying to access their personal computers that they have brought to work. They were trying to put it in their desks and they went through the CCTV camera and then they slapped them.”
What the OSP is saying
But according to the Director of Strategy, Research, and Communication, Samuel Appiah Darko, the search conducted at SML offices was lawful and backed by a search warrant issued by a competent court, granting them the authority to proceed with their duties.
He also explained in an interview with the Daily Graphic that their officers acted professionally, contrary to claims, and refuted allegations of manhandling, assault, or destruction of SML properties.
Sammy Darko also noted that the search was necessary to obtain information and items from the company to aid in their investigations into the SML scandal.
“Our investigators went to the SML offices for a lawful search to take possession of certain information and items which we need to help us in our investigation.
“We did not destroy any property and we filled the seizure notice duly signed by our officers and representatives of SML,” Darko said as quoted by graphiconline.com.
He maintained that the search was part of the OSP’s standard procedures, adding that an inventory list was made of the items seized during the operation.
“This is called the Form 3 and it’s titled ‘Inventory of items seized or detained during search by an authorised officer,’” he added.
The OSP also indicated that the Director of IT at SML, Samuel Jacob Prempeh, signed on behalf of SML, witnessed by his colleague Rev Michael Nyamitei, as well as a Principal Staff Officer who signed on behalf of the OSP.
He added that this was done lawfully with the consent of SML staff, denying accusations by SML.
OSP investigations
The OSP has indicated that it is examining agreements between Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) concerning petroleum and mineral revenue oversight.
Under the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government, SML was engaged by the GRA to provide real-time monitoring and audit services aimed at enhancing tax compliance and revenue assurance in the downstream petroleum sector.
In 2023, the scope of the contract was significantly expanded to include upstream petroleum activities and the mining sector, triggering heightened public scrutiny.
The government under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo eventually suspended the contract in 2024, following an audit by KPMG.
An amount of GH¢1.06 billion had already been paid to SML by the time the contract was suspended.
If allowed to proceed, the total cost to the state was projected to reach GH¢5.17 billion over five years.
In the wake of all these happenings, Civil Society Organisations mounted a strong response to the findings, with a coalition of five Non-Governmental Organisations filing a lawsuit against the previous government, seeking to recover GH¢1 billion already paid to SML.
MAG/AE
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