{"id":103164,"date":"2025-11-13T18:01:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T18:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=103164"},"modified":"2025-11-13T18:01:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T18:01:17","slug":"sml-petitions-chraj-accuses-osp-of-bias-and-abuse-of-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=103164","title":{"rendered":"SML petitions CHRAJ, accuses OSP of bias and abuse of power"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>3 Minute, 29 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>
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Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) has petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), alleging bias, abuse of power, administrative injustice, and violations of its constitutional rights.<\/p>\n

The petition, dated 12th<\/sup> November 2025, and signed by SML\u2019s Chief Executive Officer, Evans Adusei, seeks CHRAJ\u2019s intervention to probe what the company describes as \u201ca gross abuse of discretionary power\u201d<\/em> and \u201ca violation of fair administrative process\u201d<\/em> in the OSP\u2019s investigation and subsequent report on SML\u2019s contracts with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).<\/p>\n

The petition, filed under Article 218 of the 1992 Constitution and Section 7 of the CHRAJ Act, 1993 (Act 456), calls for a full inquiry into the conduct of the OSP\u2019s lead investigator, Mr. Albert Akurugu, and possible complicity by the Special Prosecutor, Mr. Kissi Agyebeng.<\/p>\n

Background to the Dispute<\/p>\n

According to the petition, SML \u2014 which provides revenue assurance and transaction audit services to the GRA \u2014 was engaged in 2018 following what it described as \u201csystemic failures\u201d<\/em> under a previous contractor, West Blue Consulting.<\/p>\n

SML claims its audit work led to fiscal recoveries exceeding US$1.35 million within its first two months of operation.<\/p>\n

The company, however, alleges that it has since been targeted by officials within the OSP, particularly Mr. Akurugu, who previously worked with the Customs Division of the GRA during the period of West Blue\u2019s engagement.<\/p>\n

SML contends that Mr. Akurugu\u2019s prior association with the earlier system presents a \u201cclear conflict of interest\u201d<\/em> and that his conduct during the investigation was \u201cdriven by personal animus and a retaliatory motive.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The petition alleges that Mr. Akurugu openly expressed hostility toward SML\u2019s leadership, stating during interrogation that he would \u201cmake sure SML and its CEO never work again.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

SML also claims that these remarks were captured on the OSP\u2019s own video recordings and remain in its custody.<\/p>\n

Additionally, SML accuses the OSP of mishandling evidence during a June 10, 2025 raid on its offices in Osu and Tema.<\/p>\n

The company claims that officers \u201cdestroyed servers, dismantled CCTV systems, and violated digital forensic protocols\u201d<\/em>, acts it describes as \u201ca deliberate attempt to inflict operational harm.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

According to the petition, several hardware components, including servers, firewalls, and SCADA systems, were damaged or seized in the process.<\/p>\n

SML argues that this action breached internationally recognised standards on chain-of-custody, digital forensics, and property protection.<\/p>\n

Alleged suppression of evidence<\/p>\n

The petition further accuses the OSP of \u201cdeliberately suppressing evidence\u201d<\/em> from statutory institutions such as the GRA, National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Ministry of Finance (MoF), and Ghana Standards Authority, which SML claims validated its work.<\/p>\n

It alleges that the OSP\u2019s published report \u201cadopted a favourable narrative of West Blue while downplaying SML\u2019s contributions.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

SML insists that West Blue\u2019s system had been discontinued due to operational lapses and that its own engagement filled a significant gap in Ghana\u2019s revenue mobilisation structure.<\/p>\n

SML also alleges that prior to the OSP\u2019s raid, individuals connected to companies whose licences were revoked by the Customs Division in 2017 \u2014 His Majesty Freight Services Ltd. and J.B.S. Haulage & Construction \u2014 sent threatening messages to former Customs Commissioner Isaac Crentsil, referencing SML by name.<\/p>\n

The company interprets this as part of a coordinated effort to \u201cretaliate against the Petitioner for actions taken under previous GRA management.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

SML argues that Mr. Akurugu\u2019s leadership of the investigation was inappropriate given his \u201cclose professional and personal association\u201d<\/em> with actors from the West Blue era.<\/p>\n

Requests to CHRAJ<\/p>\n

In its petition, SML requests CHRAJ to:<\/p>\n

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  1. Investigate the OSP\u2019s handling of its case and determine whether bias, abuse of power, or administrative injustice occurred.<\/li>\n
  2. Examine the role of Mr. Akurugu and any possible oversight or complicity by Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng.<\/li>\n
  3. Order the OSP to produce the interrogation video recordings containing the alleged threats.<\/li>\n
  4. Recommend disciplinary or administrative sanctions against any public officers found culpable.<\/li>\n
  5. Issue any further orders deemed just and equitable.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The company argues that the actions of the OSP have \u201ccaused operational harm, reputational damage, and violated the Petitioner\u2019s constitutional right to property and fair administrative treatment.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    \"SMLStrategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) has petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), alleging bias, abuse of power, administrative injustice, and violations of its constitutional rights.<\/p>\n

    The petition, dated 12th November 2025, and signed by SML\u2019s Chief Executive Officer, Evans Adusei, seeks CHRAJ\u2019s intervention to probe what the company describes as \u201ca gross abuse of discretionary power\u201d and \u201ca violation of fair administrative process\u201d in the OSP\u2019s investigation and subsequent report on SML\u2019s contracts with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4446,1883,117,335,10,9,5359],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-103164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chraj","category-national","category-news","category-osp","category-politics","category-popular","category-sml"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103164","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=103164"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103164\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=103164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=103164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=103164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}