Veteran journalist Elvis Darko is urging the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to expand its scope and investigate all revenue assurance contracts signed by government agencies, arguing that focusing solely on the controversial Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) agreement is insufficient to curb financial malfeasance in the public sector. Darko’s call highlights a growing concern that the SML case is merely symptomatic of a broader systemic problem concerning how the state manages contracts aimed at safeguarding and boosting national revenue.
The Call for a Comprehensive Audit
Darko’s plea for a more thorough examination comes as the OSP concludes its investigation into the SML deal, which involves the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and has been riddled with allegations of causing financial loss to the state. While commending the OSP's efforts on the SML matter, Darko contends that the same scrutiny applied to SML must be extended to all other private contracts established to manage and assure government revenue.
Systemic Corruption: The argument is that corruption often exists across a spectrum of similar contracts, particularly those involving high-value financial monitoring and assurance services. By limiting the investigation to a single company, the state risks allowing other questionable or poorly executed deals to continue unchecked, leading to continuous financial leakage.
Preventive Measure: A comprehensive audit of all such contracts would serve as a powerful deterrent, signaling that no deal, regardless of the agency or political administration that signed it, is immune from review. This approach aligns with the current administration's publicly stated commitment to fighting corruption and ensuring financial prudence.
Context: The SML Investigation and Political Scrutiny
The urgency behind Darko’s demand is amplified by the high-profile nature of the SML saga. The OSP’s investigation recently concluded with findings pointing to the central involvement of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta in pushing the deal through, allegedly despite clear operational inadequacies on the part of SML.
The revelations from the SML probe have brought contracts executed by state agencies into sharp focus:
Loss to the State: The core accusation against the SML contract centered on millions of Ghana Cedis being paid for services that state agencies were already equipped to handle, or for claims of revenue assurance that critics argued were unsubstantiated or grossly exaggerated.
Termination Order: Crucially, President John Dramani Mahama recently ordered the immediate termination of the SML contracts, signaling a strong political will to undo agreements deemed detrimental to national interest. This decision itself underscores the need to ensure that no similar "unnecessary interventions" remain active within the government's operational framework.
The Way Forward for the OSP
For the Office of the Special Prosecutor, an expanded mandate would mean delving into agreements within key revenue-generating sectors, including customs, internal revenue, and other contracts related to the oil and gas industry.
Such an expansive investigation, if launched, would be a major undertaking, yet it is widely seen by civil society and anti-corruption advocates as a necessary step to move the fight against financial crime beyond singular, highly publicized cases. It would demonstrate a commitment to institutional reform and not just individual prosecution. Ghana’s economic recovery hinges not only on securing new revenue but also on plugging the extensive financial holes created by dubious contracts that siphon funds meant for public development.
Source: This article is based on the demand made by veteran journalist Elvis Darko, as reported by Citinewsroom and other news media, in the context of the ongoing public interest and investigations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor into the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) contract.
Source: Citinewsroom, GBC Ghana Online, 3News, GhanaWeb, and MyJoyOnline reports (November 2025).