Gifty Oware-Mensah and Osei Assibey Antwi
Former Executive Deputy Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), Gifty Oware-Mensah, has been released from the custody of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) after meeting the conditions of the GH¢10 million bail granted her by a High Court on October 22, 2025.
She had been in custody for 21 days as a result of her failure to get the three sureties, two of whom must be justified with landed property within Accra, demanded by the court to execute the terms of the bail.
She is before the court for allegedly stealing and causing financial loss of GH¢38.4 million to the state by transferring funds from the NSA higher-purchase escrow account with Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) to Blocks of Life Consult “for the purpose of disguising the illicit origin of the money, knowing it to be proceeds of crime.”
Her former boss, Osei Assibey Antwi, on the other hand, has had his bail sum reduced from GH¢800 million to GH¢623 million following the grant of an application filed by his lawyers asking for variation of bail terms.
His lawyer, Alex Osei Owusu had described the bail sum as “a record in the history of this country,” arguing that “bail should not be used as a punishment even before he is convicted; God forbid.”
The court, presided over by Justice Marie Louise-Simmons, a relieving judge, however, maintained the six sureties who must provide landed property and all the other terms of bail.
The sureties are to deposit copies of their ID cards with the registry of the court, while the accused is to deposit his passports with the registrar.
The accused was further placed on the Ghana Immigration Stop List pending the determination of this case.
He was dragged before the court on allegations of authorising payments of allowances to over 60,000 non-existent national service personnel between August 2021 and February 2025, causing the state financial loss in the process.
Oware-Mensah
The former NSA Deputy Executive Officer, Gifty Oware-Mensah, 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 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.”
Osei Assibey
The former Executive Director has been charged with a total of 14 counts of stealing, causing financial loss to the state, and money laundering.
Osei Assibey has been accused of causing financial loss of GH¢8,256,000 to the state by authorising transfers from the NSA’s Control Account to e-zwich card number 1177042059, which is registered in his name.
He is again accused of laundering the GH¢8,256,000 by diverting it into his e-zwich account knowing the money formed part of unlawful activity.
The former Mayor of Kumasi is also facing charges of causing financial loss of GH¢55 million belonging to the NSA by authorising the withdrawal of the said amount from Project Account number 1018631542212 for the Kumawu Farm Project “without expending it on the project.”
BY Gibril Abdul Razak