The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has summoned the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Anthony Sarpong; the Assistant Commissioner responsible for Finance, Celestine Annan; and the Technical Assistant to the Commissioner-General, Kenneth Agyei-Duah, to appear before investigators regarding ongoing inquiries into the contentious GRA–Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) revenue assurance contract.
This summons comes in the wake of the arrest of Freeman Sarbah, the Acting Head of Legal Affairs at the GRA, on Monday, November 3, 2025, due to his alleged involvement in corruption and obstruction of justice related to the same contract.
As per sources from the OSP, the three senior officials of the GRA were instructed to appear after it was revealed that they allegedly directed the Acting Head of Legal to send a letter to SML’s lawyers at the company’s request in mid-October. Investigators suspect that this correspondence may have significant implications for the ongoing investigation.
Additionally, OSP sources indicated that this marks the second occasion on which the Commissioner-General and the Assistant Commissioner for Finance have been invited. Their previous statements reportedly conflict with the contents of the letter they are said to have authored or approved.
Both Mr. Sarpong and Mr. Agyei-Duah have prior experience with KPMG, the auditing firm that assessed SML Ghana’s operations under a directive from former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
In a statement released on its official social media platforms earlier on Monday, November 3, the OSP confirmed that Mr. Sarbah is under investigation for suspected corruption and related offences, as well as obstruction of justice concerning the SML contract.
The GRA–SML agreement, which engaged SML Ghana to deliver revenue assurance services in Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector and other areas, has attracted significant public scrutiny amid allegations of inflated costs, procurement violations, and dubious contractual terms.
In response to extensive criticism and concerns regarding transparency, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) initiated an investigation into the contract to ascertain the presence of conflicts of interest, misuse of authority, or breaches of procurement regulations. This investigation has since broadened to encompass several high-ranking officials from both the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Ministry of Finance.
The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has announced that the office is preparing to bring charges against multiple individuals involved in the scandal by the conclusion of November 2025. Those anticipated to be charged include former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, former GRA Commissioner-Generals Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah and Emmanuel Kofi Nti, as well as other senior officials and advisors associated with the Finance Ministry.
Initial findings from the OSP’s investigation reportedly indicate instances of corruption, misuse of authority, and significant violations of procurement laws in the awarding and execution of the SML contracts, which were intended to improve government revenue mobilization.
The OSP asserts that its investigation seeks to promote accountability and protect public resources, cautioning that any individuals deemed responsible will face prosecution in accordance with legal statutes.
