Sankofaonline News Desk : October 13, 2025.
ACCRA, GHANA — A massive financial scandal has erupted within Ghana’s National Service Authority (NSA), leading to the arrest and charging of a high-profile former official. Gifty Oware-Mensah, the former Deputy Executive Director of the NSA, is at the center of allegations involving a sophisticated GH¢38.4 million fraud scheme that leveraged fake beneficiaries and an internal e-commerce platform.
The charges, which have sent shockwaves through Accra’s political and civil service circles, detail a scheme that allegedly utilized two primary methods to pilfer millions from state coffers:
The Phantom Paywall: Ghost Names and Payroll Padding
The first and most brazen element of the alleged scheme involves the creation of thousands of “ghost names”,non-existent or fraudulent individuals, who were purportedly registered as National Service Personnel. By padding the official payroll with these phantom identities, the conspirators could allegedly funnel salaries and allowances directly into private accounts. The sheer scale of the alleged fraud, totaling GH¢38.4 million ($2.8 million USD), suggests a systemic failure of internal financial controls.
The “Marketplace” Racket: Fake Hire-Purchase Loans
The second prong of the alleged fraud involved the NSA’s own “marketplace” platform, an initiative designed to provide hire-purchase loans for goods to service personnel. Investigators allege that the former Deputy Executive Director orchestrated the creation of fake loan transactions and manipulated the system to disburse funds for these non-existent hire-purchase deals. Instead of providing essential goods to personnel, the money was allegedly diverted, effectively turning a community welfare program into a high-tech conduit for embezzlement.
A Fall from Grace
Gifty Oware-Mensah, a widely recognized figure in Ghanaian public service, served in a senior leadership capacity at the NSA, a role that placed her at the nexus of the Authority’s operational and financial structures. The charges against her raise serious questions about oversight and accountability within the Authority responsible for managing one of the nation’s largest youth employment programs.
“This alleged scheme is a severe betrayal of public trust,” a source close to the investigation stated. “It’s money that should have been spent supporting young Ghanaians as they begin their careers. Instead, it was allegedly funneled into a private enterprise through ghost names and fraudulent loans.”
The case is expected to be intensely scrutinized as prosecutors prepare to present evidence of the alleged elaborate financial scheme. The outcome will be closely watched, as it will serve as a crucial test of Ghana’s commitment to rooting out high-level corruption and safeguarding public funds designated for national development programs.
The former Deputy Executive Director is expected to face charges related to conspiracy to commit a crime, financial fraud, and money laundering. The NSA leadership has yet to release a full statement on the charges, but the ongoing investigation suggests more arrests and charges could follow as authorities work to uncover the full extent of the operation.
