Gifty Oware-Mensah, a former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), was released on bond after being detained by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) on suspicion of payroll fraud while she was employed there.
Oware-Mensah, who is also a member of the Ghana Football Association’s (GFA) Executive Council, was freed on Saturday following hours of interrogation, according to NIB sources who spoke to JoyNews. The precise conditions of her bail, however, are yet unknown.
Her arrest is connected to an ongoing investigation into allegations of theft at the NSS, namely related to payroll fraud that occurred while she was employed.
Background
Her time at the NSS is being investigated by the NIB in light of claims that millions of cedis in allowances were embezzled using hundreds of fictitious names.
Recently, 81,885 probable ghost names were discovered by the government in a major inconsistency in the NSS payroll.
The disparity between the payroll figures provided by the former NSS management and the actual number of active personnel is represented by this figure.
Findings show that, in sharp contrast to the 180,030 names submitted for allowance payments in 2024, there are currently 98,145 active service people.
A government statement stated, “This number is 81,885 fewer than the 180,030 names submitted by the previous management of the Authority for allowance payment in 2024.”
According to sources, the scheme cost the state about GH₵50 million a month, and the alleged phony names could point to a significant waste of public cash. It’s unclear how long the alleged fraud lasted.
Oware-Mensah, the former Deputy Executive Director in charge of finance and administration, is anticipated to play a significant role in the ongoing inquiries.
Kwaku Ohene Djan, the former Deputy Executive Director, was also recently arrested and interrogated in connection with similar claims.
According to reports, senior NSS officials allegedly constructed hundreds of fictitious accounts and names in order to transfer money intended for service members into personal accounts. The inquiry is still under progress.
Source: myjoyonline.com