By: Daniel Bampoe
A widening discrepancy between the Attorney General and his Deputy has cast uncertainty over the true scope of suspects involved in the National Service Scheme (NSS) ghost names scandal, deepening public anxiety over the state’s handling of what is now one of Ghana’s largest public payroll frauds.
While Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, publicly named 12 key suspects—including high-profile former officials such as Gifty Oware-Mensah and her husband, Peter Mensah, Mustapha Ussif, and Osei Assibey Antwi—in connection with the estimated GH₵548 million NSS scandal, his deputy, Dr. Justice Srem Sai, had earlier cited 22 individuals as being under legal scrutiny.
The conflicting accounts, made just days apart, have sparked growing calls for clarity and transparency from civil society organizations and opposition lawmakers, who accuse the government of playing politics with a serious anti-corruption investigation.
Dual Narratives Emerge
At a press briefing on June 16, Dr. Ayine outlined the charges and financial trail in the case, accusing former Deputy Executive Director Gifty Oware-Mensah of masterminding a GH¢30 million loan fraud using nearly 10,000 ghost names under a hire-purchase scheme falsely processed through the NSS payroll system.
He disclosed that the funds were diverted into several accounts, including GH¢22.9 million to AMAECOM, where Gifty Oware-Mensah is a director, and smaller amounts to companies allegedly linked to other former NSS officials.
Dr. Ayine named 12 individuals—including accountants, directors, and a lawyer alleged to have facilitated the fraud—and hinted at two more being under active investigation.
However, in a separate interview aired on June 11, Deputy Attorney General Dr. Justice Srem Sai told JoyNews that 22 people had been identified in the scheme, and that legal proceedings were being prepared for a batch of suspects, some of whom had already started cooperating or returning misappropriated funds.
Srem Sai also revealed that plea bargains were being considered as a way to fast-track the recovery of stolen funds and conserve judicial resources.
Contradiction Raises Eyebrows
The differing figures from the two top legal officers have triggered widespread speculation about whether some suspects are being shielded, or whether political interference is affecting the integrity of the ongoing investigations.
The situation is further complicated by allegations that certain politically exposed individuals—received funds to help suppress media reports on the fraud.
Though A-Plus has reportedly been interrogated by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), his name has not appeared on either the AG’s or deputy AG’s public suspect lists.
Scandal With Long Roots
The current NSS payroll fraud scandal was triggered by whistleblower complaints and internal audit reports in early 2024.
Investigations revealed the existence of tens of thousands of ghost names—nonexistent individuals listed as National Service personnel—who were drawing salaries and allowances monthly.
The fraudulent entries spanned several regions and persisted over three years, suggesting a well-coordinated internal network.
The names were not only used for payroll fraud but also served as collateral for bank loans and procurement schemes, with forged documentation and forged signatures compounding the deception.
The scheme bears a disturbing resemblance to a similar scandal in 2014, also during the Mahama administration, which led to prosecutions but evidently failed to deter recurrence.
ORAL Campaign Under Pressure
The NSS case is part of the Mahama government’s flagship anti-corruption initiative, the “Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL)” campaign.
Launched in early 2025, ORAL aims to aggressively retrieve public funds lost to fraud and mismanagement across various state agencies.
While the campaign has gained praise for its ambition, critics say its credibility is being undermined by inconsistency and perceived political bias.
What Next?
The Attorney General’s office is expected to file formal charges—including money laundering, conspiracy to defraud the state, falsification of records, and causing financial loss to the Republic—at the Financial and Economic Division of the High Court in Accra in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the ORAL task force continues to trace assets and freeze accounts believed to be tied to the scandal, although progress remains largely behind closed doors.
For many, however, the biggest question remains unanswered: Where are the missing 10 suspects? And why the contradiction in numbers from the country’s highest legal authorities?
Until those questions are addressed, confidence in the commitment to rooting out corruption may remain shaky.
