Former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), Gifty Oware-Mensah, has been granted bail in the sum of GH¢10 million by the Accra High Court after pleading not guilty to multiple charges of financial misconduct.
The National Service Authority has come under heavy scrutiny in recent months following a verification exercise that revealed over 80,000 “ghost personnel” on its payroll—an anomaly that reportedly cost the state hundreds of millions of cedis in false payments.
Oware-Mensah, who appeared before the High Court on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, faces five counts including stealing, two counts of willfully causing financial loss to the Republic, one count of using public office for profit, and money laundering.
According to the prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, the alleged offences resulted in a total financial loss of GH¢38,458,248.87 to the state.
The charges are linked to the ongoing investigation into the National Service “ghost names” scandal, which revealed massive payroll irregularities at the NSA.
Recent findings from a forensic audit by the Auditor-General have placed the total amount involved in the scheme at GH¢2.2 billion—significantly higher than the GH¢548 million earlier reported.
The Attorney General has since indicated that the charge sheet will be amended to reflect the new details.
As part of her bail conditions, Oware-Mensah is required to produce three sureties, two of whom must be justified with landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.
Presiding Judge Justice Audrey Kocuvi-Tay further directed that copies of the sureties’ passports and Ghana Cards be deposited with the court registry.
The court also ordered the accused to surrender all travel documents and placed her on a stop list at all entry and exit points.
She is to report to the case investigator on the first and third Tuesdays of every month, while the investigator is expected to submit monthly reports to the court.
The prosecution has been directed to file its disclosures by November 19, and the case has been adjourned to November 25 for a case management conference.
