…How Antwi and Oware-Mensah Money Laundering Machine”
…Secret companies, ghost lists, and a GH¢38m scheme unravelled.
The Attorney-General’s Department has filed sweeping criminal charges against two former senior officials of the National Service Authority (NSA), unveiling what prosecutors describe as one of the most egregious financial scandals in recent memory. The case, which implicates former Executive Director Osei Assibey Antwi and former Deputy Executive Director Gifty Oware-Mensah, centres on the alleged diversion of over GH¢653 million through parallel ghost personnel schemes and fraudulent banking transactions.
According to charge sheets filed at the High Court in Accra, Antwi faces fourteen counts, including causing financial loss to the Republic, stealing, and money laundering. Prosecutors allege that between August 2023 and May 2024, Antwi authorised payments to more than 60,000 fictitious national service personnel, resulting in a loss of GH¢500.8 million. He is further accused of personally misappropriating GH¢8.2 million via transfers to his private e-zwich account and withdrawing GH¢106 million from the NSA’s Kumawu Farm Project account without documentation or justification.
The Attorney-General’s Office asserts that Antwi’s actions reflect a calculated abuse of office and a sustained effort to launder public funds under the guise of official operations. His alleged offences account for over 94% of the total fraud uncovered, raising serious questions about internal controls and oversight mechanisms within the NSA.
In a parallel scheme, Oware-Mensah faces five counts, including using public office for profit and money laundering. Prosecutors say she exploited her position overseeing the NSA’s Finance and Procurement Departments to channel funds through a private entity she secretly controlled — Blocks of Life Consult. By fabricating a list of 9,934 ghost beneficiaries and falsely claiming to have supplied goods to them, she secured a GH¢31.5 million loan from the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB, Ghana), which was disbursed directly into her company’s account.
Investigations revealed that no goods were ever delivered, and over GH¢22.9 million was subsequently transferred to another firm where she served as a director. With accrued interest, the scheme is estimated to have cost the state GH¢38.4 million.
The case is being closely watched by civil society and governance observers, many of whom view it as a critical test of Ghana’s commitment to tackling white-collar crime and restoring integrity in public service. Prosecutors have signalled their intent to pursue the matter vigorously, framing it as a benchmark for accountability in the post-COVID fiscal landscape.
Both accused are expected to appear before the High Court later this month. The outcome could have far-reaching implications for institutional reform, particularly within agencies tasked with managing youth employment and public finance.