Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has revealed that Ghana lost more than GHC548 million due to a ghost names scandal within the National Service Authority (NSA) between 2018 and 2024.
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, June 13, 2025, Dr. Ayine disclosed that investigations into the scandal uncovered a well-organized criminal enterprise operated by senior officials of the NSA. According to him, the fraudulent scheme involved the insertion of non-existent names on the payroll, resulting in the illegal siphoning of substantial public funds.
The Attorney-General provided a detailed breakdown of the financial losses and emphasized that the suspects behind the scheme would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Attorney-General disclosed that 12 individuals will be prosecuted in connection with the National Service Authority (NSA) ghost names scandal, which led to the loss of over GHC548 million in public funds between 2018 and 2024.
Among those to be charged are prominent former officials, including Mustapha Ussif, former Executive Director of the National Service Scheme; Osei Assibey Antwi, former Executive Director of the NSA; and Gifty Oware-Mensah, former Deputy Director in charge of Finance and Administration.
The suspects will face multiple charges, including stealing, money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and abuse of public office for personal gain. Dr. Ayine emphasized that the government remains committed to ensuring accountability and recovering stolen public funds.
The NIB probed allegations that thousands of ghost names were used to defraud the state of millions of cedis in NSS allowances.
The government uncovered a significant discrepancy in the National Service payroll, revealing 81,885 suspected ghost names. This figure represents the difference between the actual number of active personnel and the payroll data submitted by the previous management of the National Service Authority (NSA). According to the latest findings, there are currently 98,145 active service personnel, a stark contrast to the 180,030 names presented for allowance payment in 2024. Source: myghanadaily