Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has linked the National Service Scheme (NSS) corruption scandal to the electoral defeat of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2024.
According to him, the massive fraud uncovered under the Akufo-Addo administration exposed its weak anti-corruption track record, convincing voters to vote them out.
“This scandal justifies why Ghanaians kicked out the NPP,” Kpebu stated on The Key Points on TV3, Saturday, June 14. “President Akufo-Addo’s record on corruption can’t compare to what John Mahama has demonstrated.”
He argued that the focus of the Attorney-General should shift from securing prison terms to recovering the stolen funds.
“There is a lot of money involved in this case. The Attorney-General should prioritize retrieving the stolen money rather than pursuing jail time,” Kpebu emphasized.
On Friday, June 13, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, disclosed that Ghana lost over GHS548 million through a complex fraud scheme at the National Service Authority (NSA).
The scheme, he said, was masterminded by former Deputy Director Gifty Oware-Mensah and included a network of conspirators who manipulated payroll data and financial systems.
“We’ve concluded investigations and will charge 12 suspects, including Gifty Oware-Mensah,” Dr. Ayine revealed during a press briefing.
The investigation uncovered that Oware-Mensah used 9,934 ghost names to siphon funds. She also used NSS payroll data to secure a GHS30 million loan from ADB Bank, under a company she founded with her husband, Blocks of Life Consult.
“Parliament-approved project funds were redirected from NSS accounts at ADB into private hands, the A-G confirmed.”
The National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) played a central role in the probe. Dr. Ayine praised the agency for compiling detailed dockets under the oversight of his office.
An earlier audit in February, initiated by President Mahama, exposed 81,885 ghost names on the NSS payroll. That revelation triggered a full-blown investigation and subsequent arrests of top NSS officials, including former Director-General Osei Assibey Antwi and other senior executives.
As the case unfolds, the scandal continues to fuel public outrage and strengthen calls for deeper reforms within state institutions.
