OSP, Manasseh Backs at Gyampo’s ‘illicit call’
A heated public spat has erupted between the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Ghana Shippers Authority CEO Professor Ransford Gyampo, and investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, all stemming from the OSP’s probe into former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and a controversial raid on Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML).
The back-and-forth has exposed deep divisions and raised questions about motives in the ongoing battle against corruption.
The brouhaha began when Professor Ransford Gyampo, speaking on TV3’s “Key Points” show last Saturday, publicly questioned the OSP’s intentions, suggesting, “I hope the OSP is not being driven by personal vendetta in his quest to get to Ken Ofori-Atta.”
This insinuation clearly irked the OSP, which swiftly issued a statement to rebut Gyampo’s claims.
The OSP clarified that its investigation into Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta is not born out of personal vendetta but rather based on credible allegations of corruption and corruption-related offenses, specifically abuse of office for profit.
This includes the highly contentious multi-year contract awarded to Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML).
Adding a dramatic twist, the OSP’s statement alleged that while its officers and National Security personnel were in the middle of a lawful search of SML’s premises, Professor Gyampo “called and sent messages to the Office in respect of SML.”
This suggestion by the OSP implied potential undue influence, immediately escalating the public discourse.
Professor Gyampo wasted no time in taking to social media to counter the OSP’s strong assertions.
He vehemently denied calling the OSP’s “office,” stating instead, “I called YOU (referring to Kissi Agyebeng), and we never spoke on the phone because you said you couldn’t speak and that you were going to call back.”
He maintained that his text message to the Special Prosecutor was merely a caution “not to cause financial loss to the state even as you go about your investigations, which I fully support.”
Gyampo expressed frustration, saying, “the bit that talks about me calling your office and insinuating that perhaps I called to ask you to do something untoward is unfair and makes me doubt your intentions even more.”
He even vowed to circulate their WhatsApp texts to prove his point.
However, the narrative took a sharp turn with the intervention of seasoned investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni. Following the escalating public interest, Awuni categorically stated that Gyampo had “exposed himself.”
Awuni honed in on Gyampo’s admitted text message cautioning the OSP about “financial loss to the state,” especially given that it was sent while OSP and National Security officers were actively conducting a court-warranted operation at SML.
Manasseh Azure Awuni did not hold back, launching a series of pointed questions and factual challenges to Gyampo’s stance. “In what capacity did Gyampo make that caution to the OSP?
Is he the PRO for SML? Does he work for the GRA to be able to make that determination?” Awuni queried, highlighting the apparent conflict of interest.
He then systematically dismantled Gyampo’s “financial loss” argument, referencing the period when former President Akufo-Addo suspended SML’s operations for six months in 2024.
Awuni pointed out that during this same period, the GRA Board Chairman, Joe Ghartey, announced that the GRA had exceeded its revenue target in a “historic” way.
Furthermore, Awuni cited the KPMG report, which concluded that SML’s operations at the port were already being performed by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), leading to the cancellation of that specific contract. “So, what financial loss is Gyampo talking about?” Awuni challenged.
He continued to punch holes in SML’s perceived value, referencing pages 157 and 158 of the KPMG Report, which “emphatically shows that SML’s operations do not affect revenue or volumes of petroleum products.”
In fact, SML recorded the lowest volumes, and the 400 million liters a month SML claimed as its impact was already being recorded before SML began operations in June 2020.
Awuni reminded the public of his own investigation, where SML initially claimed to be curbing under-declaration, diversion, and dilution of petroleum products.
However, when confronted with evidence, SML and the GRA admitted these claims were false, with SML even deleting them from its website.
The investigative journalist further revealed that SML admitted its meters recorded less accurate figures than existing ones, and crucially, the GRA itself admitted that SML’s recordings are not used for revenue mobilization.
The GRA continues to rely on the same existing meters it used before SML’s engagement.
“If SML does not check under-declaration, does not check diversion, does not check dilution, and has never detected any wrongdoing on the part of the oil companies, in what way would the state lose revenue if the OSP took their servers?” Awuni pressed, leaving little doubt about his stance.
Manasseh Azure Awuni concluded his intervention by alleging a long history of Ransford Gyampo and some professors at UPSA defending SML, making Gyampo’s call and text messages during the OSP’s operation particularly “curious.”
He questioned why the head of the Ghana Shippers Authority, not a party to the contract, had such an interest in the matter.
In a scathing final remark, Awuni asserted, “If Gyampo cares about the loss of revenue to Ghana, he should have been calling for the termination of SML’s contract, prosecution, and retrieval of money—not cautioning the OSP.”
This unfolding saga promises to keep Ghanaians glued to their news sources as the lines between academic commentary, public duty, and investigative journalism continue to blur in the fight against corruption.