OSP secures approval to serve Ofori-Atta, Akore with SML case summons in US

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has received approval from the High Court in Accra to serve former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and former Chief of Cabinet Ernest Darko Akore with summonses in the United States concerning the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) case. This approval allows the OSP to formally notify the two accused persons of the criminal proceedings against them, with the possibility of prosecuting them in absentia if they do not return to Ghana.

The case was presented before the court on Thursday, August 27, 2026. The OSP has forwarded the necessary court documents to the Attorney-General’s Department for processing, with the intention of serving them through authorized channels in the United States. The OSP clarified that prosecution in absentia is not automatic; accused individuals must first be properly charged and notified of the proceedings before a court considers proceeding in their absence.

The notification must be carried out via formal legal channels, not through phone calls, social media, or direct communication with their lawyers. Ofori-Atta faces 28 counts of corruption and related offenses stemming from the OSP's investigation into revenue assurance contracts between SML and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

The investigation alleges financial losses exceeding GH¢1.4 billion resulting from the SML-GRA revenue assurance arrangements. The case was originally filed in November 2025 against Ofori-Atta and seven other individuals, later being reduced to 28 counts against Ofori-Atta alone.