The Office of Special Prosecutor has filed corruption charges against former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and seven others over the controversial SML deal.
The charges filed were based on 78 counts of corruption and corruption-related offences, the OSP said in a statement on X.
“Court to fix a date for plea and trial by tomorrow, whiles OSP works with AG on extradition of Kenneth Ofori-Atta and his chief Chef de Cabinet, Ernest Darko Akore,” the Office said further.
The filing comes two weeks after the OSP’s press briefing, indicting Mr. Ofori-Atta, and five others of procurement breaches and corruption.
Kissi Agyebeng, the Special Prosecutor said investigations revealed that there was no genuine need for engaging SML for the services it purported to perform.
The contracts, he said, were secured through “self-serving official patronage, sponsorship, and promotion based on false and unverified claims.”
The SML investigations
The OSP began investigating Strategic Mobilisation Enhancement Limited (SML) following a petition by the Fourth Estate. The Fourth Estate’s petition to the OSP was based on its investigation into shady operations of SML, and a contract signed between the company, GRA, and the Finance Ministry.
Besides the SML deal, Ken Ofori-Atta is also being investigated by the OSP for other corruption-related cases for when he was finance minister. In June, the OSP declared him a wanted person and has since placed him on the Interpol Red Notice.
The former minister is currently in the US for medical reasons.
The OSP has not yet been able to extradite him to Ghana to answer to investigators probing the case.