In a dramatic escalation of Ghana’s most controversial procurement saga in recent memory, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has arrested the former Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, along with two other high-ranking officials, over their alleged roles in the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) scandal.

The arrests, confirmed on June 25, 2025, mark a pivotal moment in the OSP’s sweeping investigation into corruption and procurement irregularities that have rocked the country’s revenue assurance framework.

The Arrests and the Accused

The OSP disclosed that Rev. Dr. Owusu-Amoah was arrested alongside Isaac Crentsil, former Commissioner of Customs and now General Manager at SML, and Christian Tetteh Sottie, a former Technical Advisor at GRA who currently serves as Managing Director and CEO of SML.

All three were detained after failing to meet bail conditions. Their arrests follow a series of investigative actions, including a raid on SML’s offices earlier this month to retrieve electronic data and documents relevant to the case.

The Heart of the Scandal

At the centre of the controversy is a series of contracts awarded to SML by the GRA and the Ministry of Finance between 2017 and 2023. Initially engaged to provide real-time monitoring and audit services in the downstream petroleum sector, SML’s mandate was later expanded to include upstream petroleum and mining operations. This expansion, critics argue, occurred without proper procurement procedures and in violation of the Public Procurement Act.

By the end of 2023, SML had reportedly received over GH¢1.06 billion from the state. If the contract had continued, the total cost to the taxpayer was projected to exceed GH¢5.17 billion over five years.

A Web of Influence

The scandal has exposed a revolving door between public office and private enterprise. Both Crentsil and Sottie transitioned from senior roles at the GRA to executive positions at SML shortly after the contracts were awarded. This has raised serious concerns about conflict of interest and abuse of office.

Investigative journalists from The Fourth Estate previously revealed that SML, originally a timber company, lacked the technical capacity to deliver on its revenue assurance promises. Despite this, the company secured lucrative contracts through single-source procurement methods that were repeatedly rejected by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).

Political Fallout and Legal Ramifications

The scandal has already ensnared former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, who has been declared a suspect and placed on Interpol’s Red Notice list. The OSP alleges that Ofori-Atta masterminded the consolidated SML contract in 2023, which guaranteed the company over $100 million annually.

Civil society groups have responded with legal action, seeking to recover the GH¢1 billion already paid to SML. The case has become a litmus test for Ghana’s anti-corruption institutions and the independence of the OSP under Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng.

Public Reaction and the Road Ahead

The arrests have sparked widespread public debate. While some view the OSP’s actions as a long-overdue reckoning, others caution that the fight against corruption must be sustained beyond high-profile arrests.

As investigations continue, the Ghanaian public awaits answers to critical questions: Who authorized the contracts? What due diligence was conducted? And how deep does the rot go?

For now, the SML scandal stands as a stark reminder of the cost of opaque governance and the urgent need for transparency, accountability, and institutional reform.