Josiah
Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has refuted claims made by former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta regarding his role in the controversial contract awarded to Strategic Mobilization Ghana Limited (SML) for monitoring upstream petroleum production and auditing the minerals and metals value chain.
Manasseh dismissed Ofori-Atta’s assertion that he was neither the originating nor implementing minister for the contract, calling it inaccurate. He cited a letter related to the “questionable” SML contract, in which the Finance Minister had explicitly “determined” that the contract should be expanded.
According to Manasseh, his investigation into the SML scandal revealed that both the Minerals Commission and the Petroleum Commission were unaware of the contract. Additionally, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), which oversees revenue collection, had no role in determining the contract’s scope, despite its direct relevance to national revenue management.
Manasseh further questioned the basis of Ofori-Atta’s decision, highlighting that his findings showed SML was not delivering the solutions it claimed on its website. When confronted, the company reportedly admitted to making false claims and subsequently removed them from its online platform.
Source:Omanghana.com
