Exposé: SML’s Covert Operations at Kotoka International Airport via Evatex

Just three days before Ghana’s December 2024 election, the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) awarded a revenue assurance and auditing contract to Evatex Logistics Limited—a company with no track record in this field and only one registered employee, according to SSNIT records.

Evatex, a mining and stevedoring firm, was selected under questionable circumstances. The contract was allegedly signed after the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) lost the election, raising suspicions of backdating. Paul Adom-Otchere, GACL’s then-board chairman, didn’t deny introducing the company. The Managing Director, Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare, claimed GACL lacked internal capacity to handle the task—despite having over 1,500 employees and a nine-member Audit Department.

The investigation revealed Evatex is tied to Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd (SML), a company embroiled in previous government contract controversies. Both companies are owned by Evans Adusei, who also signed the airport contract on Evatex’s behalf. The Evatex team list included top SML staff, including its CEO, head of engineering, and IT lead, blurring the lines between both entities.

Though Evatex never presented to the GACL board, another company—Devnest Systems—did. Devnest’s proposal was accepted, but the contract mysteriously ended up with Evatex. The switch was neither recorded in board minutes nor explained satisfactorily by Adom-Otchere, who later conceded the issue might be problematic if the companies were unrelated.

Evatex and SML are not licensed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG), to perform audit and revenue assurance services. Yet, the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) approved the deal without verifying Evatex’s credentials. Even worse, the contract’s timeline showed irregularities suggesting it was backdated to avoid scrutiny following the election loss.

 

The board claimed the contract was in response to an August 2024 audit report, but records show discussions began in June—two months earlier. Furthermore, Evatex’s tax records show no revenue or taxes paid for years, suggesting the company was dormant and revived for this contract. It was also added to the Registrar General’s records as an audit firm only in February 2025, months after receiving the contract.

 

The contract entitled Evatex to 15% of revenue increases above a $781,000 monthly benchmark—set lower than previous years—potentially allowing the company to earn without contributing to actual revenue growth.

Despite public and parliamentary outcry over the original SML scandal—which involved contracts in the oil and mining sectors under questionable procurement practices—the same playbook appears to have been used at the airport. A KPMG audit commissioned by the president confirmed that SML’s services were unnecessary and duplicated existing efforts by the GRA and other regulatory bodies.

In response to mounting pressure, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has formally charged Paul Adom-Otchere and two others over the airport contract. GACL has since terminated its agreement with Evatex, following this investigation.

The scandal underscores how political connections and manipulation of procurement processes enabled a company with no relevant experience to secure a lucrative contract at a critical state institution—raising urgent questions about governance, transparency, and accountability in public contracting.