We went to the SML offices for a lawful search – OSP

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has refuted allegations that items at the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) offices were destroyed by its agents during a search to obtain pertinent information to support ongoing investigations.

The OSP asserts that the search was carried out in accordance with a court-granted warrant in order to get relevant information for its investigation of the assurance company’s downstream petroleum operations under a contract with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Samuel Appiah Darko, Director of Strategy, Research, and Communication, said that OSP investigators only removed and seized items relevant to their inquiry during last Monday’s search operation, without destroying any property at SML offices.

“As part of its standard operating procedure, the OSP investigators prepared a list of the items seized,” he stated.

“This is called the Form 3 and it’s titled ‘Inventory of items seized or detained during search by an authorised officer”.

Mr Darko stated that the SML Director of IT, Samuel Jacob Prempeh, signed the document on behalf of SML, with his colleague Rev. Michael Nyamitei serving as a witness, while a Principal Staff Officer signed it on behalf of the OSP.

“Our investigators went to the SML offices for a lawful search to take possession of certain information and items which we need to help us in our investigation,” he said.

“We did not destroy any property and we filled the seizure notice duly signed by our officers and representatives of SML,” remarked the Director of Research, Strategy, and Communication.

On December 29, 2023, President Akufo-Addo commissioned KPMG to conduct an investigation in order to fully comprehend the issues at hand and receive appropriate guidance when making the required decisions.

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and SML transaction’s whole KPMG report was made public by the President on May 22, 2024.

The president, according to a statement announcing the release, “in the interest of full transparency in governance, openness, and honesty with the public, has decided to waive the privilege under section 5 of the RTI Act and has directed the publication of the KPMG report in full.”

Source: Ghanatodayonline.com