Court throws out OSP case against Dr Sledge

An Accra High Court has dismissed an application filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), which sought confirmation of the freezing of assets belonging to business mogul Dr Sledge and Goldridge Refinery Ltd.

In a report by The Law Platform, and sighted by GhanaWeb on February 24, 2026, it stated that the Finance and Economic Crime Division 2 of the Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Samuel D Kotey, delivered its ruling on January 29, 2026.

According to the report, the court dismissed the application because the OSP failed to provide evidence of corruption or misappropriation against Goldridge Refinery.

US$94 Million MIIF Scandal: OSP raids Dr Sledge's Trassaco residence, offices

The report further indicated that the OSP was unable to establish any link between funds deposited by the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) into Goldridge’s Federal Bank account and the properties of Dr Sledge.

In his ruling, the judge also noted that the OSP’s actions against Dr Sledge and Goldridge Refinery Ltd appeared to be attempts to enforce contractual obligations owed by Goldridge to MIIF, rather than matters of corruption.

Meanwhile, in its application, the OSP had sought an order for the continued freezing of several properties, including the respondent’s vehicles, among them an unregistered Rolls-Royce Phantom S/C, two Mercedes-Benz vehicles, two bullion vans, a Lexus SUV, and two Toyota Land Cruisers, as well as jewellery and other personal effects.

Background

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) recently arrested Nana Yaw Duodu, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Goldridge Refinery Limited, in connection with one of its ongoing investigations.

Nana Yaw Duodu, popularly known as Dr Sledge, was arrested on September 30, 2025, over suspected corruption and corruption-related offences linked to the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), particularly concerning the management of its gold trade programme.

Reports indicate that the state allegedly lost over US$94 million due to Goldridge’s failure to fulfil its obligations in trade transactions under the Gold-for-Forex and Gold-for-Oil initiatives.

The CEO was later detained after reportedly failing to meet his bail conditions.

It will be recalled that in its half-year report, the OSP listed the MIIF investigation as one of its high-profile cases.

The probe covers payments linked to Agyapa Royalties, small-scale mining initiatives, lithium and gold projects, board expenditures, land acquisitions, and related contracts between 2020 and 2024.

JHM/AE

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