The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has declared Ernest Darko Akore, a former Technical Advisor at Ghana’s Ministry of Finance, wanted in conne
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has declared Ernest Darko Akore, a former Technical Advisor at Ghana’s Ministry of Finance, wanted in connection with a high-profile corruption investigation involving the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilization Limited (SML).
In a wanted notice issued on July 16, 2025, the OSP appealed to the general public to assist in locating Akore, who is said to be a key suspect in the controversial Revenue Assurance Contract between the GRA and SML.
The contract, which has drawn sharp public scrutiny and parliamentary attention in recent months, is alleged to have involved significant breaches of procurement procedures, lack of value for money, and potential financial losses to the state.
Akore, 67, served as Chef de Cabinet (a senior advisory role) at the Ministry of Finance during the period in which the SML contract was negotiated and signed.
He is wanted for questioning over what investigators describe as “corruption and corruption-related offences” tied to the arrangement, which sought to monitor petroleum downstream revenue collection and other revenue assurance operations by SML on behalf of the GRA.
According to the OSP’s wanted bulletin, Akore is possibly a dual Ghanaian-American national and is suspected to have traveled abroad.
Authorities believe he could currently be in the United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, or South Africa.
The Office has urged anyone with credible information about his whereabouts to reach them via their official helplines, 0554494499 or 0554484481.
The wanted notice follows an arrest warrant issued by the High Court’s Criminal Division under suit number CR/0397/2025, titled Republic v. Ernest D. Akore.
While the full extent of Akore’s involvement remains under investigation, his name has surfaced repeatedly in confidential memos reviewed by both Parliament and anti-corruption civil society organizations.
Critics argue that the contract was awarded without due diligence and transparency, while proponents of the deal within government circles previously defended it as necessary for plugging revenue leakages.
The controversy erupted publicly earlier this year after an audit report flagged irregularities in SML’s engagement with the GRA, including issues related to payment structures and a lack of measurable performance indicators. President John Mahama’s administration, which inherited the fallout from the previous government, pledged full cooperation with the OSP to investigate and, if necessary, prosecute any wrongdoing.
The OSP has reiterated that Akore is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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