Inside the OSP’s 31-person probe: Forensics, cooperation expose SML irregularities

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has shed light on the extensive methods used in its investigation into Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), describing it as one of the most resource-intensive probes ever undertaken by the agency.

Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng revealed that the investigation, concluded on October 3, 2025, involved digital forensics, surveillance, and document analysis across multiple public institutions.

“Our team reviewed thousands of documents and computer components retrieved from SML’s premises in Accra and Tema and conducted comprehensive interviews with 31 persons of interest,” Agyebeng said.

The OSP collaborated with the Ministry of Finance, Ghana Revenue Authority, Public Procurement Authority, National Intelligence Bureau, Financial Intelligence Centre, and several banks. It also engaged expert auditors and measurement specialists from the petroleum and minerals sectors to verify technical data.

Agyebeng clarified that the OSP’s inquiry went beyond KPMG’s audit of SML, describing it as a criminal investigation into potential corruption and related offences.

“KPMG’s work assessed procurement propriety and cost valuation, but ours focused on criminal culpability and accountability,” he said.

The investigation established that there was no operational need for SML’s services and that payments were made without verification of performance, amounting to financial loss.

By contrast, Agyebeng said, the OSP’s scope “was wider and deeper”, involving national security coordination and the tracing of digital communications between implicated officials who often avoided official email channels.