General News of Tuesday, 18 November 2025

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Special Prosecutor formally charges Ken Ofori-Atta, 7 others

Ken Ofori-Atta is the former Minister of Finance

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has officially filed charges against eight individuals, including former Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta.

The former minister and seven others are facing 78 counts of corruption and corruption-related offences, including conspiracy to commit the criminal offence of directly or indirectly influencing the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage in the award of a contract.

According to the OSP, the charges, filed on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, constitute violations of section 23(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), and section 92(2)(b) of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663).

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Portions of the suit, filed at the Criminal Division of the High Court in Accra under case number CR/0106/2026 and shared by the OSP, read; “Conspiracy to commit the criminal offence of directly or indirectly influencing the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage in the award of a procurement contract, contrary to 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 other seven individuals charged include:

• Ernest Darko Akore, former Chef de Cabinet to the Minister of Finance;

• Emmanuel Kofi Nti, former Commissioner-General of the GRA;

• Rev Dr Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, former Commissioner-General of the GRA;

• Isaac Crentsil, former Commissioner of the Customs Division of the GRA and General Manager of SML;

• Kwadwo Damoah, former Commissioner of the Customs Division of the GRA and current Member of Parliament for Jaman South;

• Evans Adusei; and

• Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML).

The charges stem from the conclusion of investigations into alleged corruption and financial irregularities linked to contracts between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML).

Addressing a press briefing in Accra on Thursday, October 30, 2025, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng announced that investigators had uncovered evidence of corruption, abuse of office, and breaches of procurement laws by senior officials of the Ministry of Finance, the GRA, and individuals connected to SML.

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“The outcome of the investigation is that the OSP will charge the following persons with various corruption and corruption-related offences before the end of November 2025,” the Special Prosecutor stated.

Agyebeng added that his office would also pursue recovery of funds allegedly lost to the state through the irregular contracts.

He disclosed that the OSP would seek to recover GH¢125 million from SML, describing the amount as unjust enrichment obtained through unlawful means.

He explained that the sum represented overpayments made to SML and would be retrieved as part of the restitution process.

“There was no genuine need for contracting SML for the work it purported to perform,” the Special Prosecutor added.





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