Leaked Documents Link Ghana Presidential Advisor to $45M in Offshore Accounts

A trove of leaked financial documents obtained by BuzzyAfrica reveals that a senior advisor to Ghana's president operated a network of offshore accounts totaling $45 million through shell companies registered in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and Dubai's International Financial Centre (DIFC). The documents span three years of transactions from 2023 to early 2026.

The 1,200 pages of records — including bank statements, incorporation certificates, and internal emails — show a systematic pattern of fund transfers linked to inflated government infrastructure contracts. According to the documents, at least seven public procurement contracts worth a combined $312 million were awarded to companies with hidden ownership ties to the advisor's family members.

The contracts covered road construction in the Ashanti Region, hospital equipment procurement in Greater Accra, and telecommunications infrastructure upgrades in the Northern Region. In each case, the winning bid exceeded independent cost estimates by 30-60%, with the excess funds routed through a chain of intermediary companies before landing in BVI-registered accounts.

The advisor, who has served as a close confidant to the president for over a decade and oversees a portfolio that includes public-private partnerships, allegedly used nominee directors — several of whom are Ghanaian nationals based in London — to obscure the ownership chain.

"These revelations are deeply troubling and demand immediate investigation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor," said Ama Agyemang, executive director of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC). "The scale and sophistication of the alleged scheme suggest it could not have operated without institutional complicity."

The Auditor General's office confirmed to BuzzyAfrica that it had received copies of several of the leaked documents in February 2026 and had opened a preliminary review. "We take all allegations of financial misconduct seriously and will conduct a thorough examination," said a spokesperson, declining to comment further on an active inquiry.

Opposition leader Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia called for a parliamentary investigation, stating in a press conference in Accra: "If these documents are authentic — and they certainly appear to be — then we are looking at one of the largest corruption scandals in Ghana's Fourth Republic."

The presidential office issued a brief statement saying it was "aware of the allegations circulating in certain media" and that the advisor in question "categorically denies any wrongdoing." The statement added that the president "has confidence in Ghana's institutions to investigate any credible allegations."

Ghana ranked 72nd out of 180 countries in Transparency International's 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, a decline of five positions from 2024. Anti-corruption organizations have repeatedly called for stronger beneficial ownership disclosure requirements for companies bidding on public contracts.

Source: Documents reviewed by BuzzyAfrica; Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition; Transparency International CPI 2025.