Former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), Gifty Oware-Mensah, has pleaded not guilty to stealing over GH¢38 million in the NSS ghost names charges.
Appearing in court on Wednesday, October 22, with a bandage wrapped around her left wrist, wearing a multicolored shirt and a black scarf to march, she denied all the five counts of charges.
She pleaded not guilty to a count of stealing, two counts of willfully causing financial loss to the republic, a count each of using public office for profit and money laundering.
The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs. Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, who represented the prosecution, said the total amount lost is GH¢38,458,248.87 to the Republic.
EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, who is in court, reports that former General Secretary of NPP, Samuel Boadu, and Ralph Opoku Adusei, MP for Asante Akyem, are watching keenly as Nana Banyin Ackon, Counsel who is holding brief for Garry Nimako Marfo, is currently on his feet advancing bail arguments.
Brief Facts
Per the brief facts of the case as presented by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, Gifty Oware-Mensah is a former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA).
The National Service Authority is an establishment under the Ministry of Education mandated to mobilize and deploy personnel drawn primarily from tertiary institutions in Ghana to various sectors in the regions, qualified to undertake national service in areas of national priority for national development under the Ghana National Service Authority Act, 2024 (Act 1119).
The DPP also stated that the NSA established the “marketplace” platform to alleviate the financial burden of National Service Personnel (NSP) who are posted to various sectors under the authority.
This online platform allows NSP to apply for loans and purchase products on hire-purchase.
Responsibility
The facts stated that, as the Deputy Executive Director, the accused person was responsible for the oversight of the Finance, Audit, and Procurement Departments.
She was solely responsible for the approval of merchants onto the NSA marketplace, in addition to overseeing the general administration of the NSA.
ADB Approaches
According to the facts, the investigation revealed that between February 2022 and March 2024, the accused approached officials of the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) and informed them that the NSA had signed an agreement with her company, Blocks of Life Consult (BLC), to sell products on hire-purchase to National Service Personnel (NSP).
She claimed that she required a loan of GH¢78,139,910.00 to support her business.
Blocks of Life Consult Limited is a private limited company registered in the year 2016 and owned by one Paul Boateng.
The accused, in order to facilitate her criminal activities, took control of the company through one Mohammed and made George Annan, her mother’s driver, one of the company’s directors.
Over 9000 Ghost Names
The accused, in a letter dated October 14, 2022, addressed to the head of the Consumer Finance Department at ADB, submitted a list of approximately 9,934 ghost names that she generated from the NSA Central Management System (CMS).
She represented to the Bank that she had supplied goods on hire-purchase to the 9,934 ghost names and wanted to use their allowances as collateral for the facility.
Escrow Account
In accordance with the agreements, an escrow account was established with ADB to retain the loan on behalf of the NSA.
The account was designated as NSA HIRE PURCHASE and had the account number 122IMPL230610001. The loan amount of GH¢31,502,091.40 was disbursed into the NSA HIRE PURCHASE account and, on the accused’s instructions to the bank, the loan amount was subsequently transferred into Blocks of Life Consult, her company’s account numbered 1081010161216501.
Out of the money received, the accused transferred GH¢22,925,518.69 to Amaecom Global Company, of which she was a director, and the remaining amount to three other companies.
Investigations revealed that the accused person did not supply any products on hire purchase to any NSP, and that the 9,934 names she gave to ADB and GHIPPS were ghost names she generated from the NSA CMS.
Based on the above facts, the accused person has been charged. Through her actions, the accused caused a total loss of GH¢38,458,248.87 to the Republic.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
