NSA ‘Ghost Names’: NIB Detains Gifty Oware -Mensah

NSA ‘Ghost Names’: Gifty Oware-Mensah Detained… Kpebu Threatens Legal Action

 

A former Deputy Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), Gifty Oware-Mensah, was detained over the weekend by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) for her role in the alleged ‘ghost names’ scandal at the NSA.

Reports suggested that the current member of the Executive Committee of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) was taken into custody by the NIB on Friday, March 7, 2025, and remained detained despite efforts by her legal team to secure bail for her.

The reports further suggest that former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu tried to intervene by facilitating her release on bail, but his efforts failed as she was later transferred from the premises of NIB to an undisclosed location.

Legal Action

Meanwhile, private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu has reminded the NIB to respect the 48-hour rule of either releasing her on bail or putting her before a court of law.

According to him, the constitutional provision in Article 14:3 must be respected irrespective of the fact that she was arrested on a weekend, as that is no longer a bar to presenting a suspect before a court of law due to a Supreme Court directive.

He made reference to a Supreme Court case which directed the Registrar to make courts available during weekends and public holidays where necessary to hear such cases.

“We want to remind the NIB that 48 hours is 48 hours… The Supreme Court has been very clear, if you want to detain her beyond the 48 hours, please go to the court. There is a way to go about it. You don’t even need to get to the 48 hours, the moment it goes beyond the 48 hours, you are in breach of the law,” Mr. Kpebu said on TV3.

He said he did not believe Gifty Oware-Mensah intended to abscond since she returned to Ghana on her own.

“She has come into the country, if she intended to abscond, I’m sure she wouldn’t have come back. Once she has come in, let 48 hours be 48 hours, and it applies to all of them,” he stated.

He also disclosed his readiness to represent Gifty Oware-Mensah if she decides to sue the NIB for breaching her right of being put before a court within 48 hours of her arrest.

“If something happens and you don’t find the court early enough and it goes beyond the 48 hours, it is a breach of the law. Gifty Oware-Mensah can sue you, and I will be happy to represent her,” he stressed.

He added that all citizens must ensure that the 48-hour rule is respected, irrespective of the individual involved.

“Once it is 48 hours, we all as citizens must jump in because we don’t know tomorrow. The fact that I want her to face justice doesn’t mean that we should keep her beyond 48 hours, no. That one, let’s not do that, it’s not worth it,” Mr. Kpebu added.

Return

Gifty Oware-Mensah returned to Ghana on March 4, 2025, after she had been out of the country since the December 7, 2024 election.

Her absence led some to speculate she was absconding from justice over her alleged role in the about 80,000 ‘ghost names’ scandal at the NSA, where monthly allowances were allegedly paid to non-existent personnel over a period of time.

Her return coincided with the arrest of former Deputy Director of Operations at the NSA, Kwaku Ohene Gyan, popularly known as Osonoba, who was detained by the NIB in connection with the scandal.

Moments after her arrival in the country, Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin indicated that the former NSA employee was willing to submit herself to NIB for any investigation in respect of the alleged scandal.

Wanted

President John Dramani Mahama during his maiden State of the Nation Address indicated that some individuals involved in the National Service Authority’s financial scandal have absconded.

He said he had directed the security agencies to declare the suspects as wanted, explaining that the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) team has been tasked to bring the perpetrators of the NSA ‘ghost names’ scandal to book.

He said those involved in the scandal must be held accountable, adding that “such brazen theft of public funds must be stopped and punished.”

BY Gibril Abdul Razak

 

 

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