Former NSA boss to face fresh charges NSS ghost names case

The former Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), Osei Assibey Antwi, is expected to face additional charges in the ongoing case involving alleged ghost names on the National Service Scheme payroll.

State prosecutors on Tuesday informed the High Court in Accra that new developments had emerged following the submission of the Auditor-General’s performance audit report on the NSA to the Attorney-General.

Principal State Attorney, Dufie Prempeh, told the court that the newly received audit findings necessitate amendments to the existing charge sheet. She explained that although the matter was scheduled for a Case Management Conference, the prosecution had only received the audit report a day earlier, making it impossible to file the revised charges before the hearing.

According to her, a preliminary review of the audit report indicated the need for adjustments to the original charges against the accused. She therefore prayed the court for a brief adjournment to allow the prosecution to formally amend the charge sheet.

Presiding judge, Justice Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie, granted the request and adjourned the case to February 25 for the accused to take his plea on the amended charges.

Mr Assibey Antwi has already pleaded not guilty to 14 counts, including allegations that he authorised the payment of allowances to more than 60,000 non-existent national service personnel between August 2021 and February 2025.

The Attorney-General alleges that during his tenure, the former NSA boss approved payments amounting to GH¢500.86 million to ghost names on the payroll. He is currently facing seven counts of causing financial loss to the state, six counts of stealing, and one count of money laundering.

In an earlier ruling, the High Court granted him bail in the sum of GH¢800 million with six sureties to be justified. However, following an application by his legal team, the bail amount was reduced to GH¢623 million — an amount equivalent to the alleged sum involved.

Despite the variation in bail conditions, the court maintained all other requirements, including the submission of passports to the court registry, regular reporting to the National Intelligence Bureau headquarters twice a month, and placement on the Ghana Immigration Service stop list.

The case continues as the prosecution prepares to file the amended charge sheet based on the Auditor-General’s findings.