{"id":102685,"date":"2025-11-10T14:11:36","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T14:11:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=102685"},"modified":"2025-11-10T14:11:36","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T14:11:36","slug":"sml-sues-special-prosecutor-over-unlawful-seizure-of-critical-revenue-monitoring-equipment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=102685","title":{"rendered":"SML sues Special prosecutor over \u2018unlawful\u2019 seizure of critical revenue monitoring equipment"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Strategic Mobilization Ghana Limited (SML) has filed a lawsuit at the High Court in Accra, accusing the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) of unlawfully seizing its servers and equipment in a raid that allegedly caused the \u201cimmediate collapse\u201d of a nationwide petroleum and minerals monitoring system.<\/p>\n

In a writ of summons filed on November 10, 2025, the company is demanding the return of all equipment and seeking special damages of a staggering $28,850,125.50, as well as GH\u20b520 million in general damages from the anti-corruption agency.<\/p>\n

The legal action stems from a heavily militarised search and seizure operation conducted by the OSP at SML\u2019s offices on June 10, 2025. According to the statement of claim, the OSP\u2019s officers took away 29 different types of equipment, including seven servers, multiple computers, laptops, and the proprietary \u201cSML Nova Mineral Analyzer.\u201d<\/p>\n

SML argues that this seizure was catastrophic for its operations. The company stated that the action \u201ccaused immediate collapse of the secure communication chain linking all twenty-five (25) depots to the central data center, resulting in total cessation of real-time data flow.\u201d<\/p>\n

The plaintiff, which has a contract with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to provide revenue assurance services, described the seized central server as containing \u201cuniquely engineered firmware and software\u201d that cannot be replaced with off-the-shelf components.<\/p>\n

SML contends that the OSP\u2019s methods were reckless and unlawful. \u201cInstead of conducting forensic imaging or cloning, which preserves business continuity, the Defendant forcibly uprooted physical hardware, destroying the Plaintiff\u2019s operational capacity nationwide,\u201d the court document reads.<\/p>\n

The company also accused the OSP of a \u201cpreconceived plan to inflict operational harm,\u201d pointing to the deliberate removal of CCTV systems during the raid as a \u201ccalculated act intended to eliminate video evidence of the unprofessional, unlawful, and irregular manner in which the operation was carried out.\u201d<\/p>\n

To restore its services to the GRA, SML claims it was forced to spend over $28 million to reconstruct its entire technological environment, a cost it now seeks to recover from the OSP.<\/p>\n

The OSP, established by Act 959, is mandated to investigate and prosecute corruption and corruption-related offences. This lawsuit presents a significant challenge to the office\u2019s investigative methods and could test the legal boundaries of its powers when dealing with complex digital infrastructure.<\/p>\n

The defendant, the Office of the Special Prosecutor, has eight days to enter an appearance in court after being served with the writ.<\/p>\n