Pressure group urges prosecution of Ofori-Atta and Akore over SML contracts

Pinned summary · as of 00:16

Democracy in Progress, a pressure group, wants former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and Ernest Darko Akore to face trial over alleged graft tied to Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML). Spokesperson Solomon Owusu made the case to journalists before the group's Operation Recover All Loot protest.

What we know

• Democracy in Progress called for Mr Ofori-Atta, a former Finance Minister, and his co-accused Ernest Darko Akore to be prosecuted in connection with suspected corruption surrounding SML contracts.
• Solomon Owusu, who speaks for the group, addressed journalists at a briefing held ahead of its planned Operation Recover All Loot demonstration.
• Mr Owusu argued that accountability should not hinge on which political party is in government.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  The Vaultz News reported that the Office of the Special Prosecutor has brought 78 corruption and corruption-related counts against eight accused persons in all, Mr Ofori-Atta and Mr Akore among them, in relation to SML contracts with the Ghana Revenue Authority. The charges are allegations and the accused are presumed innocent.
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  According to The Vaultz News, the Special Prosecutor alleges that the SML arrangements cost the Republic about GH₵1.436 billion and might have led to a further US$2.8 billion in payments across five years, without the parliamentary approval that should have come first. No other report has confirmed these figures.
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  The Vaultz News reported that the Special Prosecutor treats Mr Ofori-Atta as the subject of extradition proceedings and that a High Court warrant is still in force. It said Mr Owusu pointed to his absence from Ghana as a reason the accused should submit to the court handling the case.
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  The Vaultz News also reported that the Special Prosecutor has opened separate investigations involving Mr Ofori-Atta, covering the termination of an Electricity Company of Ghana contract with Beijing Xiao Cheng Technology, National Cathedral procurement and transactions, a Ministry of Health contract for 307 ambulances, and the handling of the Ghana Revenue Authority's Tax Refund Account.
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  The Vaultz News reported that Mr Owusu acknowledged the presumption of innocence, said the courts must decide guilt, and urged state institutions to pursue cases where the evidence supports criminal action.
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  A later Channel One TV report on YouTube said the group demanded prosecution of Mr Ofori-Atta and former Bank of Ghana Governor Dr Ernest Addison, rather than Mr Akore, and alleged corruption linked to the SML contracts. This differs from the earlier reports and has not been confirmed elsewhere.
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  Channel One TV reported on YouTube that the group urged government to sustain Operation Recover All Loot, asked young Ghanaians to take part in the anti-corruption effort, and said accountability should also mean getting back any state money shown to have been wrongly lost.

Why it matters for Ghana

The SML contracts concern revenue collection at the Ghana Revenue Authority, so the case touches money that funds public services. The dispute over how far scrutiny of a past minister should go will matter to taxpayers and to parties that have each demanded probes while in opposition. Court proceedings, not campaign rallies, will decide whether any of the allegations hold.