NSS ‘Ghost Names’ Scandal: Gifty Oware-Mensah Granted Bail
A former Deputy Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), Gifty Oware-Mensah, has been granted bail following her detention by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) over the allegations of payroll fraud during her tenure at the Authority.
Reliable sources indicate that Oware-Mensah, who is also an Executive Council member of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), was discharged after hours of interrogation on Saturday.
She was arrested to assist with investigations into the alleged embezzlement of funds at the NSA, particularly in relation with fraudulent payroll activities that occurred under her watch.
Background
The government says it has uncovered a significant discrepancy in the National Service payroll, revealing 81,885 suspected ghost names.
This figure represents the difference between the actual number of active personnel and the payroll data submitted by the previous management of the National Service Authority (NSA).
According to the latest findings, there are currently 98,145 active service personnel, a stark contrast to the 180,030 names presented for allowance payment in 2024.
The 81,885 names that have been flagged as potentially fraudulent or inflated could represent a major misuse of public funds.
This follows an investigative report on the NSA in 2023 by the Fourth Estate, an anti-corruption media organisation under the auspices of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA).
According to the report, top officials of the NSA created thousands of ghost names and accounts presented as persons serving the nation under the scheme and collecting monthly allowances through this account which ends up in their personal pockets.
Source: Ghmessenger.com with additional information by JoyNews
