🚨 SML Disguised at Kotoka: How a Shadow Company Secured a Major Airport Contract
By Manasseh Azure Awuni, Adwoa Adobea‑Owusu & Evans Aziamor‑Mensah
In a stunning exposé, investigators reveal how Evatex Logistics Limited, a one‑employee mining firm, leveraged deep ties to Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) to land a lucrative revenue assurance contract at Kotoka International Airport—all despite lacking the experience or licensing to do so .
⚙️ A Contract from Nowhere
- Awarded just three days before Ghana’s December 2024 election, the contract was seemingly backdated, with signing and approval dates that predate both internal instructions and relevant board deliberations .
- The procurement followed a single-source route rather than open tendering, without any record of competitive bidding or presentations by Evatex .
🤝 The Hidden Hand of SML
- Corporate documents and ORC filings expose Evans Adusei as the owner of both Evatex and SML—making them sister companies .
- Employees presented on Evatex’s staff lists were, in fact, notable SML personnel: the head of engineering, head of IT, former GRA legal head, and former customs commissioner all feature on the list .
🎙️ Voices of Concern
- Ben Boakye, Executive Director at ACEP, criticized the arrangement as absurd, arguing that a company incapable of bidding should not hide behind a shell entity to secure government jobs .
📋 Legal and Ethical Red Flags
- Neither Evatex nor SML were licensed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana—putting them in direct violation of Act 1058, which mandates licensure for all auditing firms in Ghana .
- Evatex’s operational profile didn’t even include auditing or revenue assurance until February 6, 2025, three months after the contract was reportedly awarded .
- The board minutes confirm that Devnest Systems, not Evatex, was the company that actually made the pitch to GACL—but unduly, the contract was awarded to Evatex instead .
📉 A Prize Without Work
- The deal allows Evatex to retain 15% of any revenue above their own low benchmark—calculated using 2022 cargo figures of $781,000/month, despite 2021 figures being higher at $909,000/month. This setup could result in payouts even when no actual revenue is generated .
🏛 Accountability in the Dock
- Charges have since been filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) against former GACL board chairman Paul Adom‑Otchere, Devnest CEO Albert Adjei‑Laryea, and GACL commercial executive Otchere Kwame Baffour Awuah. Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori‑Atta has also been declared wanted in connection with broader SML-related contracts .
- The GACL formally terminated Evatex’s contract on July 28, 2025, following parliamentary and civil society scrutiny .
🔍 Why This Matters
This episode underscores how political and corporate networks can distort public procurement. A shell company—linked to powerful insiders—walked away with a high-stakes contract without proper capacity, licensing, or oversight. Yet, the guilty parties remain entangled in the legal system as Ghanaers await justice and reforms.
🧭 Looking Ahead
- Public pressure continues for full transparency from the GACL and OSP, and renewed parliamentary scrutiny of the SML saga.
- For civil society: this case remains a strong example of the need for strengthened procurement laws and stricter enforcement from regulators like the Public Procurement Authority and ICAG.
✅ Credits
This blog post draws extensively on the original reporting by Manasseh Azure Awuni, Adwoa Adobea‑Owusu, and Evans Aziamor‑Mensah published on 1 August 2025 on MyJoyOnline .
