The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has summoned the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Anthony Sarpong, along with Assistant Commissioner for Finance, Celestine Annan, and Technical Assistant to the Commissioner-General, Kenneth Agyei-Duah, to appear before investigators as part of the inquiry into the controversial GRA and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) revenue assurance contract.
The latest summons comes after the arrest of Freeman Sarbah, Acting Head of Legal Affairs at the GRA, on Monday, November 3, 2025, for alleged corruption and obstruction of justice related to the same contract.
According to highly placed sources at the OSP, the three senior GRA officials were directed to appear after it emerged that they allegedly instructed Mr Sarbah to issue a letter to SML’s lawyers in mid-October at the company’s request. Investigators believe the correspondence may be central to their examination.
This marks the second time the Commissioner-General and the Assistant Commissioner for Finance have been invited by the OSP. Their earlier testimonies reportedly contradict the contents of the letter now under scrutiny.
Both Mr Sarpong and Mr Agyei-Duah previously worked with KPMG (Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler), the audit firm tasked by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to review SML Ghana’s operations under the disputed contract. Investigators are said to be examining this connection closely.
In a statement released on its official social media pages earlier on Monday, the OSP confirmed that Mr Sarbah was being investigated for suspected corruption, corruption-related offences, and obstruction of justice in relation to the SML deal.
The GRA and SML contract, which engaged SML Ghana to provide revenue assurance services in the petroleum downstream sector and other revenue streams, has been the subject of intense public and political scrutiny amid allegations of inflated costs, procurement breaches, and irregular contractual terms.
Following widespread criticism and questions over transparency, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, initiated the probe to determine whether there were instances of conflict of interest, abuse of office, or violations of procurement laws in the award and execution of the deal.
Sources say the examination has now expanded to cover officials at both the GRA and the Ministry of Finance, with several key figures expected to be charged before the end of November 2025. Those likely to face prosecution include former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, former GRA Commissioner-Generals Dr Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah and Emmanuel Kofi Nti, as well as senior advisors and consultants linked to the Ministry of Finance.
Preliminary findings reportedly point to systemic corruption, abuse of office, and serious procurement violations in the award and implementation of the SML contracts. The deals were originally intended to boost government revenue mobilisation but may have instead caused significant financial losses to the state.
The OSP maintains that its work seeks to protect public funds and ensure accountability, warning that all individuals found culpable will be prosecuted “in accordance with the law, without fear or favour.”
