The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has stated that 12 former officials of the National Service Authority (NSA), including former Deputy Executive Director Gifty Oware-Mensah, are to face prosecution over their alleged involvement in the GH₵548 million ghost names payroll scandal.
Addressing a press briefing in Accra on Friday, June 13, Dr. Ayine confirmed that investigations conducted by the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) in collaboration with his office had concluded, leading to the creation of a comprehensive prosecutorial docket.
According to Dr. Ayine, funds approved by Parliament for various service projects were fraudulently diverted into private accounts through a well-coordinated scheme orchestrated by senior officials of the Authority.
The accused allegedly used fake names to inflate payroll figures and siphon off the funds.
These are;
- Mustapha Ussif – Former Executive Director
- Osei Assibey Antwi – Former Director-General
- Gifty Oware-Mensah – Former Deputy Executive Director
- Kweku Ohene Gyan – Former Deputy Executive Director (Operations)
- Abraham Bismark Gaisie – Former Head of Deployment
- Eric Nyarko – Former Head of Accounts
- Albert Oteng Owusu – Former Internal Auditor
- Kweku Dekyi Agyei – Accounts Officer
- Iddrisu Ibn Abu-Bakr – Former Head of Accounts
- Stephen Kwabena Gyamfi – Koforidua Municipal Director
- Prince Agbofa Awuku – District Director
- Jacob Yawson – MIS Administrator, Northern Regional Office
Dr. Ayine said, “For instance, we have conclusively established that, after collecting these funds, some of the suspects, such as Gaisie, Nyarko, and Oteng handed them over to suspect Osei Assibey Antwi in cash and on some occasions deposited the cash into his bank account. Some directors, such as Gifty Oware-Mensah, created and executed a meticulously detailed plan, using NSP allowances as security to obtain a loan of thirty million six hundred and ninety-eight thousand, two hundred and eighteen cedis, sixty-nine pesewas (GH¢30,698,218.69) from the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) at an interest rate of twenty-three percent (23%).”
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“She achieved these results by using other people’s information to register a company called Blocks of Life Consult without their knowledge or permission. Subsequently, she presented “BLOCKS OF LIFE CONSULT” through a middleman in the person of Maxwell Akwesi Ofori-Mintah to an official of the Agricultural Development Bank, enlisting her husband, Peter Mensah, a lawyer, to act as one of the directors/ representatives of the said company. .”
He highlighted that suspect Gifty Oware-Mensah played a central role in the scheme, designing what he described as a “meticulously executed” plan.
She allegedly used 9,934 ghost names over two service years (2022–2024) to secure a GH¢30,698,218.69 loan from Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) at an interest rate of 23%, using National Service personnel allowances as collateral.
According to the Attorney General, Oware-Mensah registered a company, Blocks of Life Consult, —using the personal information of individuals without their consent.
She then presented the company through a middleman, Maxwell Akwesi Ofori-Mintah, to ADB and enlisted her husband, Peter Mensah, a lawyer, to serve as one of the directors.
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The loan, intended to supply home appliances to National Service personnel on a hire-purchase basis, was approved under the guise that NSA would facilitate deductions and repayments.
However, “Blocks of Life Consult” was not a registered vendor with the Authority.
Dr. Ayine reiterated the government’s unwavering commitment to prosecuting all individuals involved in the scandal, stressing that the case marks a significant step under the government’s “Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL)” anti-corruption initiative.
“Having concluded our investigations, we will be filing charges against twelve suspects who worked as directors and staff of the NSA. These are Mustafa Yussif, a former executive director, Osei Assibey Antwi, former Director General, Gifty Oware-Mensah former deputy executive director, Kweku Ohene Gyan, former deputy executive director for operations, Abraham Bismark Gaisie, head of deployment, Eric Nyarko, former head of accounts, Albert Oteng Owusu, former internal auditor, Kweku Dekyi Agyei, an accounts officer, Iddrisu Ibn Abu-Bakr, former head of accounts, Stephen Kwabena Gyamfi, Koforidua Municipal Director, Prince Agbofa Awuku, a district director and Jacob Yawson, Management Information Systems Administrator in the Northern Regional Office.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Hamdia Mohammed
