Gifty Oware-Mensah
The embattled former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), Gifty Oware-Mensah, has been granted a GH¢10 million bail by a High Court in Accra, where she is standing trial for allegedly stealing and causing financial loss of GH¢38.4 million to the state.
She made her first appearance before the court yesterday and pleaded not guilty to one count of stealing, two counts of causing financial loss to the state, one count of using public office for profit, and another count of money laundering.
She has been dragged to court for allegedly causing financial loss of GH¢6,956,157.47 by causing the state to pay the said amount as interest to the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) on a GH¢31,502,091.40 loan inappropriately authorised for Blocks of Life Consult which she benefitted from.
She has also been accused of stealing and laundering GH¢31,502,091.40 by transferring it from the NSA higher-purchase escrow account with ADB to Blocks of Life Consult “for the purpose of disguising the illicit origin of the money, knowing it to be proceeds of crime.”
She missed her first appearance in court last week since she was charged, as the court was presented with a medical excuse duty indicating that she was receiving treatment at the Police Hospital in Accra.
She made her first appearance yesterday wearing a khaki trouser and multi-coloured summer shirt, with a bandage on her left wrist.
She pleaded not guilty to all the five charges read out by the court clerk, and her lawyer, Nanabanyin Ackon, assisted by Fatimatu Abubakar, both of whom held brief for Gary Nimako Marfo, prayed the court to grant her bail pending the trial.
Mr. Ackon told the court that Gifty Oware-Mensah is not a flight risk and would appear to stand trial if granted bail.
He said the accused was already on enquiry bail granted by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) and she has since cooperated with investigative bodies.
He further told the court that with investigations having concluded in the matter, there is no risk of any interference in investigations by the accused person.
“We pray that your Ladyship graciously exercises your discretion in favour of the accused and admit her to bail with very favourable terms as the accused has demonstrated her cooperation with investigation and trial of this matter,” Mr. Ackon added.
No Opposition
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, did not oppose the application but urged the court to set conditions that will ensure the accused person will present herself for the trial.
She further urged the court to order the accused to deposit her passport with the registrar of the court, and only released with the express approval of the court.
The court, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, granted Gifty Oware-Mensah a bail of GH¢10 million with three sureties, two of whom must be justified with landed property within Accra.
The sureties are to deposit a copy of their Ghana Card with the registrar while the accused was ordered to deposit her passport(s) with the registrar. She was also placed on the Stop List at all entry points of the country.
Brief Facts
The prosecution alleges that between February 2022 and March 2024, Gifty Oware-Mensah allegedly approached officials of ADB and informed them that the NSA had signed an agreement with her company, Blocks of Life Consult (BLC), to sell products on hire-purchase to national service personnel.
“She claimed that she required a loan of GH¢78,139,910.00 to support her business,” the facts said.
The accused, in October 2022, wrote to the bank and submitted a list of approximately 9,934 ghost names that she generated from the NSA Central Management System, claiming she had supplied goods on hire-purchase to the personnel and wanted to use their allowances as collateral for the facility.
ADB, however, told her that they could not approve the loan of GH¢78,139,910.00 as it would mean they would be deducting the full allowances of the supposed personnel.
She later agreed with the bank on the principal sum of GH¢31,502,091.40 and an interest of GH¢6,956,157.47 to be paid through source deductions of the 9,934 personnel allowance over 11 months.
An escrow account was established with ADB to retain the loan on behalf of the NSA, and the loan amount of GH¢31,502,091.40 was disbursed into the account.
It was subsequently transferred into Blocks of Life Consult on Gifty Oware’s instruction, out of which she allegedly transferred GH¢22,925,518.69 to Amaecom Global Company, of which she was a director, and the remaining amount to three other companies.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak