Gifty Oware-Mensah Released on Bail After Weeks in Custody
Former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), Dr. Gifty Oware-Mensah, has secured her freedom after fulfilling bail conditions set in relation to the ongoing “ghost names” investigation at the NSA.
Dr. Oware-Mensah appeared before the Accra High Court on October 22, 2025, where she was granted bail in the sum of GH¢10 million with three sureties. Two of the sureties are required to justify the bail amount with landed property.
According to court documents, the charge sheet includes five counts against Dr. Oware-Mensah: stealing, willfully causing financial loss to the state, money laundering, and using a public office for personal profit.
Her release comes after spending approximately 20 days in custody at the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) due to delays in meeting the bail conditions.
The allegations stem from a verification exercise at the NSA which found that of over 180,000 national service personnel listed on the payroll, only around 98,000 could be verified as genuine. Investigators allege that 9,934 fictitious names were created in the NSA database and that she used her private firm, Blocks of Life Consult, to secure a GH¢31.5 million loan from the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) for purported hire-purchase of goods. The funds were allegedly diverted, causing a loss to the state of GH¢38,458,248.87.
In the bail hearing, Dr. Oware-Mensah’s lawyer argued that she is not a flight risk, highlighting her status as a married woman with an established residence in Accra and a three-year-old child. The lawyer also referenced medical treatment she was undergoing, although the presiding judge questioned the evidence supporting those claims.
The case is scheduled for further hearing on November 25, 2025. Meanwhile, Dr. Oware-Mensah and her co-accused have been placed on travel bans and are required to surrender their passports to court registrars.
Former NSA Deputy Director Gifty Oware-Mensah Faces Charges in Multi-Million Cedi Fraud Case
