Gifty Oware-Mensah
Gilbert Serbeh-Yeboah, the Attorney General’s second witness in the trial of former Deputy Executive Director of National Service Authority (NSA), Gifty Oware-Mensah, on Tuesday admitted he was a subject of investigation by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) in relation to the master agreement entered between Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) and the accused person.
Mrs. Oware-Mensah is standing trial before the court for allegedly stealing and causing financial loss of GH¢38.4 million to the state.
The witness, while under cross-examination by Gary Nimako Marfo, counsel for Mrs. Oware-Mensah, admitted that he was investigated for the offence of abetment of causing financial loss to the state, stealing and defrauding by false pretences.
Mr. Serbeh-Yeboah, who is the Head of Consumer Finance at ADB and one of the people who worked on the loan facility, had indicated that the NIB invited the Managing Director of the bank and not him personally and he (witness) decided to accompany him.
He, however, admitted upon further questioning that he gave two cautioned statements to the NIB, one on March 27 and the other on March 28, 2025.
In his first caution statement, the witness briefly introduced himself, denied the charges against him and indicated that he wished to exercise his constitutional right to remain silent.
He added that all other information on the transaction are with the bank.
“I am putting it to you that you were not invited by the NIB simply because you work at ADB but your role as Head of Consumer Finance in this NSA-ADB higher purchase agreement,” Mr. Nimako suggested.
“The NIB did not invite me. The NIB invited Managing Director of ADB and I accompanied him. So, I don’t have any personal invitation from NIB,” the witness answered.
However, Mr. Serbeh-Yeboah admitted that it was him who was cautioned by official of NIB and not the Managing Director of the bank.
Mr. Nimako Marfo then explored the possible reason why the banker was not charged by the NIB, leading the witness to say “I don’t know the reason I was not charged. I was not in the mind of NIB and I had denied any wrongdoing.”
The witness, in his second cautioned statement, told the NIB that the NSA-ADB agreement went through the required banking process at ADB and same was approved.
He also confirmed telling the Bureau that ADB sent transfers to Blocks of Life Consult Limited, a company associated with Gifty Oware-Mensah, under written instruction from the accused.
Meanwhile, the witness has indicated that he was not aware of the National Service Authority, which engaged the ADB on this higher purchase agreement, making any official complaints to ADB that Mrs. Oware-Mensah has stolen any money belonging to NSA.
“I am further putting it to you that the National Service Authority has not filed any official complaint with ADB as at today 16th of June 2026 that the accused person has stolen GH¢30,701,554, the property belonging to the authority. Not so?” the lawyer asked.
“My Lady, not that I know of,” the witness replied.
“Tell the court, has ADB made any adverse findings within the bank against any of the officers that played a role with respect to the NSA-ADB higher purchase facility?” Mr. Marfo further asked.
“My Lady, I don’t know of any investigation against any person,” Mr. Serbeh-Yeboah answered.
The lawyer also asked the witness whether the directors of Blocks of Life Consult Limited have approached ADB that it has made any wrong transfers into account of the company. “Not that I know of,” the witness answered.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak