OSP to arraign Ofori-Atta and 7 others on 24 November in 78-count corruption case

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has confirmed that former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and seven others will appear before the court on Monday, 24 November 2025.

They are to answer to 78 counts of corruption and corruption-related offences linked to what prosecutors describe as a sophisticated, long-running criminal enterprise.

In a notice posted on social media, the OSP announced that “the prosecution will seek the necessary court orders to serve the charge sheets on fugitives who are currently outside the jurisdiction.”

The update follows the formal charging of Mr. Ofori-Atta, Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML), and several former senior officials from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Ministry of Finance.

Those charged include Ernest Darko Akore, aged 67, who previously served as Chef de Cabinet at the Ministry of Finance; Emmanuel Kofi Nti, 66, a former Commissioner-General of GRA; and Rev Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, 64, who also held the same office. Also named are Isaac Crentsil, 63, and Kwadwo Damoah, 65, both former Commissioners of the Customs Division of GRA. Evans Adusei, 62, the CEO and beneficial owner of SML, as well as Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd — formerly Strategic Mobilisation Enhancement Ltd — complete the list of accused persons.

According to the prosecution, the charges stem from an alleged collusive scheme that operated between 2017 and 2024, involving the illegal award of contracts and the siphoning of more than GHC 1.4 billion from the state.

The prosecution claims the conspiracy was driven by high-ranking officials who used their offices to advance private interests in violation of procurement laws and established financial protocols.

The charge sheet outlines allegations that contracts were unlawfully granted to SML through single-source procurement without approval from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) Board or, where required, Parliament.

It further states that the contracts were obtained through deliberate misrepresentations concerning SML’s financial and technical capacity, as well as claims of proprietary technology supposedly linked to the multinational firm COTECNA S.A.

The company was placed on what they call “automatic payment mode,” a mechanism that allowed substantial payments to be released without validation, evidence of work done, or delivery of any actual service.

The alleged scheme also involved the abuse of public office by senior officials who, according to the OSP, acted to promote the private interests of SML and its owner.

The court filing additionally references a major upstream petroleum and mineral audit contract valued at an estimated US$2.79 billion.

Although halted before implementation, prosecutors argue it posed a significant potential financial loss to the state had payments begun.

The OSP has also indicated that efforts are underway to secure the extradition of Mr. Ofori-Atta, who is currently outside Ghana, after several attempts to obtain his physical presence for the ongoing investigations proved unsuccessful.

The post OSP to arraign Ofori-Atta and 7 others on 24 November in 78-count corruption case appeared first on The Herald ghana.

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