By: Belinda Nketia
Ghana’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has announced that 12 individuals will face criminal charges in connection with a payroll fraud that cost the state more than GHC548 million.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Friday, June 13, Dr. Dominic Ayine said the suspects include former National Service Authority (NSA) Executive Director, Osei Assibey Antwi, former Deputy Director of Finance and Administration Gifty Oware-Mensah, and other senior officials and private accomplices linked to the scandal.
“Our investigations have revealed a criminal enterprise whose network covers the entire country. It was discovered that top officials and their accomplices in the private sector were involved,” he said.
The suspects allegedly coordinated the insertion of 81,885 ghost names into the National Service Scheme’s (NSS) payroll, allowing them to siphon public funds on a massive scale. Investigations were led by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) in collaboration with the Attorney-General’s Office.
Dr. Ayine named Gifty Oware-Mensah as a central figure in the scheme, accusing her of using 9,934 fake identities to secure NSS funds and obtain loans for a private company she co-owned.
“Suspect Gifty Oware-Mensah used a total of 9,934 ghost names to perpetuate said diversion of funds… used NSS data to obtain a loan of over GHC30 million with interest of 23 percent from ADB… created a company named Blocks of Life Consult with her husband, a lawyer, as one of the directors,” the A-G disclosed.
He added that parliamentary funds intended for NSS projects were redirected into private accounts, and praised the NIB for its role in unearthing the operation.
“Monies approved by Parliament for projects submitted by NSS were deposited to ADB Bank accounts and diverted into private pockets,” he said.
The fraud was uncovered following a February audit requested by President John Mahama, which triggered a nationwide probe into irregularities in the NSS payroll. Several officials have since been detained.
The National Service Authority is a public agency responsible for deploying graduates for one year of national service.
Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) is an initiative launched by President John Dramani Mahama with a primary objective to recover misappropriated public funds and state properties.
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