Ex-GRA Boss, 4 others granted GH₵50m bail in SML case

The High Court in Accra has granted bail in the sum of GH₵50 million to former Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Commissioner-General Rev. Dr Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah and four others, who are standing trial in a high-profile procurement and financial loss case.

Also benefiting from the ruling are former GRA Commissioner-General Emmanuel Kofi Nti, former Commissioner Isaac Crentsil, Evans Adusei, and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SMGL), which is charged as the eighth accused.

They are being tried alongside former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta (A1) and his Chief of Staff Ernest Akore (A2) on counts including influencing a public procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage, causing financial loss to the state, and using public office for profit.

Under the terms set by the court, each of the affected accused persons must:

Satisfy bail of GH₵50 million with two sureties to be justified;

Deposit all passports and travel documents with the court registry; and

Report once a week to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

Because the sitting ended late, the judge ordered that the new bail regime will take effect on Monday, 15 December 2025, when the accused are expected back in court to complete the necessary documentation.

Until then, they will remain on their existing OSP-administered bail. The court further directed them to report to the OSP on Friday, 12 December to begin the process of meeting the bail conditions.

Prosecutors allege that the accused were part of a scheme to improperly steer procurement contracts in favour of Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited.

According to the charge sheet, this arrangement is said to have caused financial losses in excess of GH₵1.4 billion to the state. The prosecution also claims that additional payments amounting to billions of dollars were projected under the same arrangement but were stopped after state intervention.

The charges include allegations that the procurement process was manipulated for unlawful gain and that some of the accused used their public office for profit.

The case has been adjourned to Wednesday, 17 December 2025, when Jaman South MP, Kwadwo Damoah (A6), is expected to appear and formally enter his plea.

The court rejected a prosecution request for a bench warrant against Mr Damoah, ruling that he enjoyed parliamentary immunity at the time the summons was served, as Parliament was in session.

All accused persons have pleaded not guilty, and the matter will resume under the new bail framework as the OSP pursues the alleged procurement and financial crime charges.