Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) has taken legal action against the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), accusing the anti-graft body of causing nationwide operational paralysis through what it describes as an unlawful and destructive raid on its facilities.
In a suit filed at the High Court in Accra, SML is demanding the return of seized servers and equipment, alongside over $28 million in damages, alleging that the OSP’s actions not only breached due process but also disrupted critical national data systems used for petroleum and mineral monitoring.
Nationwide Data Breakdown
According to SML’s statement of claim, on June 10, 2025, heavily armed OSP officers stormed the company’s premises under a purported warrant and confiscated vital operational infrastructure, including servers, laptops, external drives, and specialised mineral analysis equipment.
The company said the raid triggered an instant collapse of Ghana’s secure data communication network linking 25 petroleum depots nationwide, effectively shutting down real-time transaction monitoring between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and private operators.
“These servers and systems form the technological backbone of the country’s petroleum and solid minerals monitoring framework,” SML stated, adding that the loss of these devices had “crippled revenue authentication and data validation functions” essential for tracking national resource flows.
Allegations of Improper Procedure
SML further accused the OSP of violating professional and forensic investigation standards. Instead of conducting a forensic imaging process—a common method that preserves digital evidence while allowing business continuity—the Special Prosecutor’s team allegedly “uprooted physical servers and devices,” permanently damaging sensitive systems and compromising data integrity.
The company also alleged that OSP officers disabled its CCTV system during the operation, preventing video recording of the search and seizure process.
Legal Demands and Compensation
SML is asking the court to:
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Declare the OSP’s seizure and continued detention of its property unlawful;
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Order the immediate return of all seized equipment;
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Compel the state to compensate the company for business losses and reputational damage; and
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Award over $28 million in damages, plus legal costs.
The firm argues that the raid not only disrupted operations but also jeopardized Ghana’s resource governance infrastructure — a move it says could have “long-term fiscal and national security implications.”
Context and Response
The OSP had been investigating aspects of SML’s contractual engagements with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), particularly over the firm’s role in providing revenue assurance and real-time data monitoring services for the petroleum and mining sectors.
However, SML insists the raid lacked legal justification and was executed “under the guise of a warrant that did not meet constitutional thresholds.”
As of press time, the Office of the Special Prosecutor had not yet filed a response to the lawsuit.
