By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has announced the arrest of five former top officials of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and three other individuals in connection with ongoing investigations into the controversial Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) contracts.
The former officials arrested by the OSP are: the immediate past Commissioner-General of the GRA, Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, Dr. Isaac Crentsil, former Commissioner of Customs, now General Manager at SML, Mr. Christian Tetteh Sottie, former Technical Advisor at GRA, now Managing Director/CEO of SML, Kofi Nti, former Commissioner-General of the GRA, and Philip Mensah, former Deputy Commissioner of Legal at GRA, now Legal Consultant to SML.
The three other individuals are: CEO of SML, Mr. Evans Adusei, Joseph Kuruk, and Faustina Adjorkor, all staff of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).
The OSP in a statement on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, said the arrest of the former top officials of the GRA form part of a probe into suspected corruption and corruption-related offenses surrounding revenue assurance contracts awarded to SML by the GRA and the Ministry of Finance.
Again, the OSP hinted that the arrests were made after the suspects failed to meet bail conditions following interrogation.
The OSP has assured the public of its commitment to investigating the matter thoroughly and holding all culpable individuals accountable.
The arrest comes in the wake of an explosive investigative documentary by journalists; Evans Aziamor-Mensah, Adwoa Adobea-Owusu, and Manasseh Azure Awuni, which exposed questionable dealings between SML, the GRA, and the Ministry of Finance.
The investigation revealed that SML, originally established as a timber company shortly after the Akufo-Addo led administration took office in 2017, secured contracts worth over $141 million by the end of 2023.
The contracts, according to reports, breached procurement laws, and the company has been unable to provide evidence to substantiate claims that its operations saved the nation significant revenue.
Two of the arrested individuals, Dr. Crentsil and Mr. Sottie, now hold top positions at SML, raising concerns over conflicts of interest.
