FORMER DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL SERVICE AUTHORITY GIFTY OWARE-MENSAH IMPLICATED IN GH₵548 MILLION FRAUD SCHEME
The Attorney General (A-G) and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has named Gifty Oware-Mensah, a former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA) and Executive Council member of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), as a key suspect in an alleged Gh₵548 million fraud scheme involving ghost names and misappropriated funds.
The revelations emerged during a press briefing today (June 13, 2025) where Dr Ayine detailed findings from the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) investigation.
According to the A-G, Oware-Mensah allegedly orchestrated a complex scheme to secure a Gh₵30.6 million loan from the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) under false pretences.
She reportedly registered a company, Blocks of Life Consult, without the knowledge of its purported directors, including her husband, lawyer Peter Mensah. The loan, intended to supply appliances to national service personnel, was instead diverted into private accounts.
“Suspect Gifty Oware-Mensah used 9,934 ghost names to misappropriate these funds,” the A-G stated. “She transferred Gh₵22.9 million to AMAECOM, a company she directs, and additional sums to entities linked to other suspects.”
The scandal, first exposed by investigative outlet The Fourth Estate, involved inflated budgets, fabricated payroll data, and collusion with vendors. Over six years (2018–2024), Gh₵548 million was lost, with Gh₵350 million siphoned in the 2022/2023 service year alone.
Oware-Mensah is among 12 NSA officials and eight vendors facing charges, including stealing, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state. The AG noted that some vendors have entered non-prosecution agreements in exchange for testimony.
The A-G vowed to recover stolen assets, emphasising: “These acts undermine the NSA’s mission of fostering patriotism and discipline.”
