Renowned investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has challenged claims made by former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta regarding his role in the controversial Strategic Mobilization Limited (SML) contract, which is under investigation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
In a Facebook post, Manasseh dismissed Ofori-Atta’s assertion that he was neither the “originating nor implementing Minister” of any of the corruption cases under the OSP’s probe.
He backed his rebuttal with official documents that directly link the former minister to key decisions on the SML contract.
Azure shared a letter indicating that it was the Finance Ministry, under Ofori-Atta’s leadership, that “determined” the expansion of the SML contract—raising questions about the former minister’s denial of involvement.
According to him, even Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), which co-signed the original contract with the Finance Ministry, was merely asked to make inputs after the expansion decision had already been made.
Further deepening the controversy, Manasseh revealed that the Minerals Commission and the Petroleum Commission—state agencies responsible for overseeing the sectors impacted by the contract—were unaware of its existence when he contacted them during his investigation.
He also questioned the legitimacy of the contract’s expansion, citing findings that SML was not delivering the technological solutions it had advertised. According to Manasseh, when confronted about these misleading claims, the company admitted to them and swiftly deleted the false information from its website.
Ofori-Atta’s recent statement, as published in the media, was meant to distance himself from the corruption allegations that have put him on the OSP’s radar.
However, Manasseh’s latest exposé challenges that defense, suggesting that the former minister played a central role in a deal now mired in controversy.
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