Revenue Assurance Scandal: Mahama Orders SML Contracts Scrapped

President John Dramani Mahama has ordered the immediate cancellation of all contracts between the Government of Ghana and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) following the completion of investigations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

The directive was issued through a letter signed by the Secretary to the President, Dr. Callistus Mahama, and addressed to the Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, instructing him to begin processes to dissolve every contractual arrangement with the company.

The OSP’s inquiry focused on revenue assurance contracts between SML and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). Investigators examined alleged procurement breaches, concerns about value for money, and questions surrounding the exact scope of services rendered.

Presenting the findings in Accra on Thursday, October 30, 2025, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng said the probe found no legitimate justification for SML’s involvement in the tasks it was contracted to perform.

According to the OSP, the agreements were awarded through “self-serving official patronage, sponsorship, and promotion, based on false and unverified claims.”

However, SML has strongly refuted the findings, insisting it has committed no wrongdoing.

In a statement issued Friday, October 31, 2025, the company said it has “fully cooperated with all lawful investigations” and called for public discussions to be driven by facts rather than speculation.

“We will present all relevant documents before the appropriate authorities. We remain proud of the work done, the controls that governed it, and the measurable value created for Ghana,” the company’s Lead Counsel stated.

The firm also stressed that it is a wholly Ghanaian-owned company with no political affiliations, adding that its revenue-monitoring services for the GRA were performed under a strict risk-and-reward arrangement, where payment was made only after independently verified results.

SML’s work in petroleum monitoring, transaction audits, and external price verification, it said, was carried out under the supervision of the GRA.

This development follows earlier decisions by the GRA in May 2024, when the Authority terminated SML’s Transaction Audit and External Verification Service contract at the directive of former President Akufo-Addo. At the time, other components of the contract were suspended pending review.