Former NSA officials allegedly embezzled over GH¢548 Million — Attorney General Reveals

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has disclosed that an alleged criminal enterprise involving former officials and staff of the National Service Authority (NSA) misappropriated more than GH¢548 million of public funds between 2018 and 2024.

Speaking at a high-profile press briefing today as part of the “Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL)” initiative championed by President John Dramani Mahama, Dr. Ayine detailed the findings of a months-long investigation into financial malfeasance at the NSA.

The scandal, initially exposed by investigative journalists at The Fourth Estate, has now culminated in what the Attorney-General described as “a sprawling criminal enterprise” that exploited systemic weaknesses and falsified records for personal gain.

“Far from inculcating civic responsibility, discipline, and patriotism, the NSA became a conduit for looting state resources through fabricated payrolls and collusion with private vendors,” Dr. Ayine declared.

Ghost Names, Fake Projects, and Fabricated Budgets

At the heart of the scheme was the creation and manipulation of ghost names — fictitious individuals listed as national service personnel — which allowed the diversion of salaries and allowances into private accounts.

Investigations showed that between 2018 and 2024, a total of 63,672 ghost names were inserted into the NSA’s payroll.

A detailed breakdown of the financial loss per service year is as follows:

Service Year Amount Lost (GH¢)

2018/2019 GH¢25,857,836.16
2019/2020 GH¢21,613,962.24
2020/2021 GH¢55,670,584.32
2021/2022 GH¢61,383,025.74
2022/2023 GH¢350,926,977.12
2023/2024 GH¢32,881,157.07
Total GH¢548,333,542.65

These funds, originally budgeted to support real national service personnel and developmental projects, were siphoned off through falsified submissions to the Ministry of Finance, manipulation of payroll data sent to the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GHIPSS), and payments issued to E-Zwich cards tied to fake identities.

Digitalization Exposed the Fraud

Despite claims by NSA leadership in 2022 that a new Metric App with facial recognition had saved the state over GH¢112 million by blocking fraudulent enrollments, a headcount ordered by Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson in 2024 uncovered 81,885 ghost names on the payroll.

This discrepancy prompted further scrutiny and the eventual unearthing of widespread collusion between NSA officials and private service vendors.

A Call for Accountability and Prosecution

Dr. Ayine confirmed that investigation dockets had been submitted by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) under close supervision from his office, particularly Deputy Attorney-General Dr. Justice Srem Sai.

Criminal charges are expected to be filed in the coming weeks, with prosecutors aiming to hold all individuals — both within the public sector and in the private sphere — accountable.

“This is not just a scandal; it is a betrayal of national trust,” the Attorney-General said. “We will pursue full recovery of all stolen funds and ensure justice is served.”

The Attorney-General also commended The Fourth Estate for its initial investigation, describing their work as “excellent” and foundational to the current legal process.

The post Former NSA officials allegedly embezzled over GH¢548 Million — Attorney General Reveals appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.

Read Full Story