The NSA Payroll Fraud
Last Updated:
April 21, 2026 at 10:44:30 PM
Case Summary
Between 2018 and 2024, the National Service Authority’s Central Management System, a digital platform introduced to manage postings, validation and payments for national service personnel, was used to insert tens of thousands of “ghost names” into the National Service payroll. These were names of non-existent individuals, ineligible persons, minors, elderly people, and fictitious graduates from non-existent institutions. Allowances paid to the ghost beneficiaries were allegedly siphoned off by officials of the NSA, including the Executive Director, Osei Assibey Antwi, and his deputy, Gifty Oware Aboagye. The scandal was first uncovered through investigative reporting by The Fourth Estate.
Major Timelines and Case Updates
November 2024
The National Service Authority secured an ex parte injunction to stop The Fourth Estate from publishing the investigation. This was after The Fourth Estate had contacted the NSA management for a response.
December 2024
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), the mother organisation of The Fourth Estate, petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to investigate the scandal.
January 2025
The MFWA challenged the NSA injunction in court and won. The Authority was fined for abuse of process.
February 2025
The Fourth Estate, following the apparent inaction by the Office of the Special Prosecutor, petitioned the five-member team set up by the government to collate allegations of corruption under the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL initiative).
June 13, 2025
The Attorney-General, Dr Dominic Ayine, announced the conclusion of the investigation and the intention of his office to prosecute 12 key suspects, including former Executive Director Osei Assibey Antwi and former Deputy Executive Director Gifty Oware-Mensah.
June 2025
The Office of the President ordered the suspension of the National Service Authority’s Central Management System and associated digital platforms.
The NSA Governing Board froze all enrollment, validation, posting, and registration activities for the 2025–2026 service year.
The Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment suspended the Central Management System and Metric App following a directive from the Office of the President
September 2025
The Acting Executive Director of the NSA, Felix Gyamfi, was reassigned from the NSA to the Ministry of Finance following his continued defence of the suspended digital systems.
October 2025
The Attorney-General has charged former NSA Executive Director Osei Assibey Antwi with fourteen counts, including causing financial loss to the state, stealing, money laundering, and misusing public funds.
January 2026
The criminal trial began at the Accra High Court after the prosecution made minor adjustments to figures contained in the charge sheet. The former Executive Director and Deputy, Osei Assibey Antwi, Gifty Oware Mensah, Former Deputy Director of Operations, Ohene Gyan, Former Internal Auditor, Abraham Bismark Gaisie and nine other officials were accused of misappropriating over GH¢38 million.
February 17, 2026
The Prosecution told the Court that fresh information had come to the attention of the Attorney General, necessitating an amendment in the charge sheet.
Between 2018 and 2024, the National Service Authority’s Central Management System, a digital platform introduced to manage postings, validation and payments for national service personnel, was used to insert tens of thousands of “ghost names” into the National Service payroll. These were names of non-existent individuals, ineligible persons, minors, elderly people, and fictitious graduates from non-existent institutions. Allowances paid to the ghost beneficiaries were allegedly siphoned off by officials of the NSA, including the Executive Director, Osei Assibey Antwi, and his deputy, Gifty Oware Aboagye. The scandal was first uncovered through investigative reporting by The Fourth Estate.
Between 2018 and 2024, the National Service Authority’s Central Management System, a digital platform introduced to manage postings, validation and payments for national service personnel, was used to insert tens of thousands of “ghost names” into the National Service payroll. These were names of non-existent individuals, ineligible persons, minors, elderly people, and fictitious graduates from non-existent institutions. Allowances paid to the ghost beneficiaries were allegedly siphoned off by officials of the NSA, including the Executive Director, Osei Assibey Antwi, and his deputy, Gifty Oware Aboagye. The scandal was first uncovered through investigative reporting by The Fourth Estate.
Between 2018 and 2024, the National Service Authority’s Central Management System, a digital platform introduced to manage postings, validation and payments for national service personnel, was used to insert tens of thousands of “ghost names” into the National Service payroll. These were names of non-existent individuals, ineligible persons, minors, elderly people, and fictitious graduates from non-existent institutions. Allowances paid to the ghost beneficiaries were allegedly siphoned off by officials of the NSA, including the Executive Director, Osei Assibey Antwi, and his deputy, Gifty Oware Aboagye. The scandal was first uncovered through investigative reporting by The Fourth Estate.
Between 2018 and 2024, the National Service Authority’s Central Management System, a digital platform introduced to manage postings, validation and payments for national service personnel, was used to insert tens of thousands of “ghost names” into the National Service payroll. These were names of non-existent individuals, ineligible persons, minors, elderly people, and fictitious graduates from non-existent institutions. Allowances paid to the ghost beneficiaries were allegedly siphoned off by officials of the NSA, including the Executive Director, Osei Assibey Antwi, and his deputy, Gifty Oware Aboagye. The scandal was first uncovered through investigative reporting by The Fourth Estate.
Between 2018 and 2024, the National Service Authority’s Central Management System, a digital platform introduced to manage postings, validation and payments for national service personnel, was used to insert tens of thousands of “ghost names” into the National Service payroll. These were names of non-existent individuals, ineligible persons, minors, elderly people, and fictitious graduates from non-existent institutions. Allowances paid to the ghost beneficiaries were allegedly siphoned off by officials of the NSA, including the Executive Director, Osei Assibey Antwi, and his deputy, Gifty Oware Aboagye. The scandal was first uncovered through investigative reporting by The Fourth Estate.