By: Kenneth Appiah Bani
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has this morning formally filed criminal charges against former Minister for Finance, Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta, and seven others, accusing them of engaging in corruption and corruption-related offences linked to the award of government procurement contracts.
The case, titled The Republic v. Kenneth Ofori-Atta & 7 Ors., was filed at the High Court (Criminal Division) in Accra under the 2025 legal year. The charge sheet outlines 78 counts against the accused persons, comprising senior public officials and private individuals associated with Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), the company central to a wide-ranging OSP investigation.
The individuals charged are:
- Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta
- Ernest Darko Akore
- Emmanuel Kofi Nti
- Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah
- Isaac Crentsil
- Kwadwo Damoah
- Evans Adusei
- Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML)
According to the OSP, the accused persons are alleged to have conspired to manipulate procurement processes, thereby securing unfair advantages for private interest in the award of key revenue-monitoring and assurance contracts. These alleged actions contravene 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 charge sheet details the involvement of the former Finance Minister, former heads of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Customs Division, and executives of SML, alleging that they exercised undue influence on procurement decisions that compromised transparency and fairness.
The High Court is expected to fix a date for the plea-taking and commencement of trial by tomorrow, marking the next major step in what is poised to become one of the most consequential corruption cases in recent Ghanaian history.
Meanwhile, the OSP has confirmed that it is working closely with the Attorney-General’s Office on processes relating to the extradition of Kenneth Ofori-Atta and his former Chief Chef de Cabinet, Ernest Darko Akore, to ensure their appearance before the court.
The OSP’s filing represents a significant escalation in its months-long probe into the SML contracts, which has raised concerns about procurement integrity, revenue protection, and the management of public resources.
All eight accused persons are expected to appear before the High Court as proceedings advance.
