Former NSA Deputy Director Gifty Oware-Mensah Faces Charges in Multi-Million Cedi Fraud Case

Gifty Oware-Mensah, the former Deputy Executive Director of Ghana’s National Service Authority (NSA) and an Executive Council member of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), has been named by the Attorney General as a key suspect in what is now being described as one of Ghana’s most audacious financial scandals. The alleged scheme involves GHC 548 million in public funds, ghost names, fake procurement, misappropriated loans, and complex financial maneuvers.

According to the AG’s press briefing, Oware-Mensah is accused of masterminding a plot that used 9,934 ghost names to divert public monies. She is said to have orchestrated a fraudulent GHC 30.6 million loan from the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) under the pretext of supplying appliances for national service personnel. Instead, those funds reportedly flowed into corporate accounts controlled by her and associates.

Part of the scheme allegedly involved the creation of Blocks of Life Consult, a company registered without the knowledge of its listed directors — reportedly including her husband. Funds were then transferred to AMAECOM, a firm she is linked to, and other entities tied to co-suspects.

Investigations suggest the fraud spanned from 2018 through 2024, with peaks in the 2022/2023 fiscal year. Authorities claim that GHC 350 million was siphoned during that period alone, as inflated procurement contracts, fictitious payroll entries, and forged vendor invoices were used to mask the diversion.

Oware-Mensah is not alone in facing prosecution. The Attorney General says 12 NSA officials and 8 vendors are implicated, with charges including theft, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state. Some vendors, it is reported, have struck non-prosecution agreements in exchange for cooperation.

In light of the allegations, calls are growing for swift asset recovery and accountability. Critics argue that the scandal erodes public trust in Ghana’s institutions, especially given the NSA’s mission to promote national service, patriotism, and youth development.

For now, Oware-Mensah and the accused await formal indictment and trial. In Ghana’s justice system, she retains the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

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