The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine has today uncovered a sweeping case of financial malfeasance involving the National Service Authority (NSA), revealing that over GHS 548 million has been stolen through a criminal enterprise spanning six service years.
At a press briefing in Accra, the Attorney General disclosed that the scandal, unearthed through the government’s Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative, implicated senior officials of the NSA and private sector collaborators. The National Intelligence Bureau, under the supervision of the Office of the Attorney General, conducted a four-month investigation following the February submission of the ORAL Report by President John Dramani Mahama.
The revelations follow an earlier exposé by The Fourth Estate, which flagged massive payroll fraud involving “ghost names” on the NSA’s payroll. A subsequent headcount in 2024 by Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson uncovered that 81,885 fictitious service personnel had received allowances—despite the introduction of a digital verification system in 2022.
The fraud resulted in inflated budgets, the creation of fake personnel records, and illegal financial transfers to vendors and private accounts. According to Dr Ayine, the operation was spearheaded by past and present NSA top officials, working in collusion with marketplace vendors, banks, and private entities. The suspects created shell companies, manipulated payrolls, and used public funds for personal gain.
Key Suspects and Financial Trail
Twelve former NSA directors and staff, including Mustapha Yussif, Gifty Oware-Mensah, and Osei Assibey Antwi, will face charges. Notably, Oware-Mensah secured a GHS 30.6 million ADB loan using ghost names, funneled through shell companies like BLOCKS OF LIFE CONSULT and transferred over GHS 22 million to companies she controlled.
Other vendors implicated in the scam include owners of *Marine Ventures (GH¢50.7m), Al-Fayda Ventures (GH¢21.3m), Option Buy Ventures (GH¢11.4m), and others. None could provide evidence of actual goods or services rendered to the National Service Personnel.
One of the most startling discoveries was the discrepancy between actual personnel and those paid— *63,672 ghost names* were identified in GHIPSS records from 2018 to 2024. Additionally, payments meant for National Service Personnel were funneled into E-Zwich accounts, including *GHS 8.2 million* into the personal card of former NSA Director-General, Osei Assibey Antwi.
Criminal Charges to Be Filed
The suspects face multiple charges including:
Stealing (Act 29, Section 124),
Willfully Causing Financial Loss to the State,
Using Public Office for Profit,
Money Laundering under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (Act 1044), and
Obtaining Public Property by False Statements.
The Attorney General also confirmed that some vendors have entered *Non-Prosecution Agreements (NPAs) in exchange for cooperation and testimonies during trial.
Asset Recovery Underway
A nationwide asset tracing operation has commenced to recover stolen funds and properties illegally acquired by the suspects. The Attorney General reaffirmed the government’s commitment to holding accountable all persons who have looted public resources.
The scandal is shaping up to be one of Ghana’s biggest public-sector corruption cases, with implications for public trust in national institutions and the future integrity of the National Service Scheme.
“This investigation exposes not only the rot within a key public institution but also the need for systemic reforms to prevent such brazen theft in the future,” the Attorney General concluded.
By Eugene Kwasi Nyarko
