Over GH₵548m lost to ghost names at NSA – Ayine reveals

Minister for Justice and Attorney General, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has disclosed that fraudulent activities within the National Service Authority (NSA) led to the loss of over GH₵548 million through a scheme involving ghost names on the national payroll.

The revelation comes in the wake of President John Dramani Mahama’s directive to the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to probe irregularities at the NSA, following the discovery of more than 7,000 ghost names on its payroll.

Addressing a press briefing on Friday, June 13, 2025, Dr. Ayine said preliminary investigations under the “Operation Recover All Loot” (ORAL) initiative uncovered what he described as a “criminal enterprise” orchestrated during the previous Akufo-Addo administration.

According to the Attorney General, the syndicate involved senior executives, directors, staff of the NSA, and some service providers. He detailed the financial losses as follows:

• GH₵350,926,977.12 during the 2022/2023 service year
• GH₵197,406,565.53 during the 2023/2024 service year
• Bringing the total loss to GH₵548,333,542.65

He further indicated that the matter is being treated with urgency, and all individuals found culpable will be prosecuted.

Dr. Ayine said, “In the 2022/2023 service year, 350,926,977.12 was lost to the state. for the 2023/2024 service year, 32,881, 157.07 was lost to the republic. In total, as stated, we lost about 548,333,542.65 to the criminal enterprise perpetrated by these executives, directors, and staff, as well as the service providers in the market” he said.

He added that “The criminal enterprise that resulted in the loss of this colossal loss of sum of money involved the creation of ghost names in the NSA payroll system by some directors and staff, which was subsequently exploited to misappropriate state funds for their gain”.