How Alleged Criminal Enterprise Looted GH¢548m From NSA

Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has disclosed the findings of a four-month investigation into extensive financial malfeasance at the National Service Authority (NSA), revealing an estimated loss of over GH¢548 million in state funds.

Addressing journalists at a packed press briefing on Friday, June 13, 2025, Dr. Ayine stated that the investigation conducted under the government’s Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative uncovered what he described as a “sprawling criminal enterprise” embedded within the NSA.

This syndicate involved both high-ranking public officials and private sector collaborators.

According to the Attorney General, the investigation revealed that between 2018 and 2024, over 63,000 ghost names were fraudulently added to the national service payroll.

These fictitious identities enabled illicit payments to be diverted into private accounts through collusion between NSA officials and external vendors.

“Rather than inculcating the values of patriotism and civic duty as mandated by law, these officials exploited the very institution meant to mould responsible citizens,” Dr. Ayine remarked.

Inflated Budgets and Fake Personnel

One of the most damning findings was the deliberate inflation of personnel figures submitted to Parliament for budgetary approval. Once funds were released, they were systematically siphoned off under the guise of executing legitimate projects.

Dr. Ayine also challenged earlier claims made by former Vice-President,  Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in 2022, who asserted that a digital verification system acquired by the NSA had saved the state over GH¢112 million by blocking 14,027 ghost names.

However, a 2024 headcount by the Ministry of Finance, conducted as part of efforts to clear arrears revealed that 81,885 names on the payroll were fictitious.

Despite the deployment of the so-called “Metric App,” which used facial recognition and ID validation, investigators found that top officials had continued to manipulate records systematically.

Ghost Schemes and Vendor Kickbacks

The probe uncovered elaborate schemes in which allowances for ghost personnel were funnelled through E-Zwich cards and fictitious accounts.

In one striking case, GH¢8.25 million was traced to an E-Zwich card registered in the name of Osei Assibey Antwi, the then Director General of the NSA. The card was recovered during a raid on his residence.

Other implicated individuals include Gifty Oware-Mensah, former Deputy Executive Director, who is accused of orchestrating complex financial frauds using front companies such as Blocks of Life Consult.

Through this entity, she allegedly secured loans totaling GH¢30.7 million from the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) at a 23% interest rate.

These loans were obtained under the pretense that the company specialized in supplying home appliances to service personnel on hire purchase, with NSA responsible for deductions and repayments. Gifty is said to have used her husband as a director and front for the company, working with an ADB official, Maxwell Akwasi Ofori Mintah, as a middleman.

The funds were later traced to multiple company accounts, including AMAECOM and Scaffold Ltd, allegedly owned or linked to Gifty and an associate, Abraham Bismark Gaisie.

Named and Shamed

The Attorney General named 12 former NSA officials and 15 vendors who will face charges including stealing, conspiracy to steal, money laundering, and abuse of public office for private gain.

High-profile individuals facing prosecution include: Mustapha Yussif, former NSA Executive Director; Osei Assibey Antwi, former Director General; Gifty Oware-Mensah, former Deputy Director; Eric Nyarko, former Head of Accounts and Abraham Bismark Gaisie, Head of Deployment.

Vendors implicated in the scheme include companies such as Marine Ventures, Alfarita Ventures and Brainwave Ventures.

Non-Prosecution Agreements and Asset Recovery

Dr. Ayine confirmed that non-prosecution agreements (NPAs) have been reached with several vendors who will serve as state witnesses. Their identities remain confidential for security reasons.

He also announced the initiation of asset-tracing investigations aimed at recovering properties acquired with the stolen funds.

“This is not merely a case of financial loss; it is a betrayal of the national spirit,” Dr. Ayine emphasised, adding “We shall pursue every pesewa and hold every culprit accountable.”

He commended investigative journalists from The Fourth Estate for breaking the original story, describing their work as “foundational” to the government’s subsequent inquiry.

The revelations have triggered nationwide outrage across the political divide and among civil society organizations, prompting calls for urgent reforms in the administration of the national service scheme.

 

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