An explosive investigative report by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni‘s The Fourth Estate, titled “THE GH₵ 3 BILLION LIE,” exposes startling revelations about Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML).
Despite making wild claims of saving Ghanaian billions, SML continued to receive monthly payments of up to GH₵24 million from the government. The blockbuster report, released today on December 18, 2023, delves into a murky contract signed with the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
The investigation, conducted by Evans Aziamor-Mensah, Adwoa Adobea-Owusu, and Manasseh Azure Awuni of The Fourth Estate, uncovers a trail of deceit involving false and unsubstantiated claims made by SML. The company’s dubious operations became the basis for substantial payments it received from the government, with indications that officials from the Ministry of Finance and GRA were aware of the false claims.
The Fourth Estate team confronted SML’s management with the findings, leading to the sudden disappearance of major services claimed by the company from its website. This action raised further questions about the legitimacy of SML’s dealings with the government.
The investigation also sheds light on an outrageous deal initiated by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, entitling SML to over $100 million annually for the next decade. The report highlights a 2019 contract signed between the Government of Ghana and SML, questioning its necessity amid pre-existing measures introduced in 2018 to curb losses in the downstream petroleum sector.
Key revelations include the questionable procurement process, where SML, led by Managing Director Christian Tetteh Sottie, was handpicked through a single-source method despite lacking prior experience in the services it claimed to provide. Procurement expert Kobina Ata-Bedu raises concerns about potential breaches of Ghana’s procurement laws.
The report dismantles SML’s false claims of resolving issues such as underreporting, diversion, and dilution of fuel products in the petroleum industry. The company’s website displayed misleading information that was later removed after the Fourth Estate’s investigation.
Christian Tetteh Sottie, the Managing Director of SML, admitted that the company did not engage in activities related to checking underreporting or anomalies in the downstream sector, contradicting its earlier claims. The GRA officials, present during the confrontation, expressed shock at the services SML claimed to provide.
Despite the revelations, SML’s Managing Director denied knowledge of the GH₵3 billion savings claim, attributing it to a mistake made by an IT Systems Engineer during a presentation to the GRA. The Fourth Estate’s persistent questioning forced admissions of discrepancies, prompting SML to remove the false claims from its website.
The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, who initially lauded SML for saving billions, now faces scrutiny as evidence suggests financial mismanagement. Despite unanswered Right to Information requests, sources close to the Ministry of Finance reveal monthly payments of up to GH₵24 million to SML.
The shocking details unveiled in this report raise serious questions about the transparency and legitimacy of government contracts, urging further investigation into SML’s dealings and the accountability of public funds.