The criminal trial involving former National Service Authority (NSA) Deputy Executive Director, Gifty Oware-Mensah, has taken a new twist as the accused seeks the intervention of Ghana’s Supreme Court over a dispute concerning witness disclosure.
Mrs Oware-Mensah, who is standing trial over her alleged involvement in the controversial ghost names payroll scandal at the NSA, is challenging a High Court directive ordering her to submit the names and addresses of her intended witnesses before the prosecution opens its case.
Her lawyer, Gary Nimako Marfo, argued before the High Court that the directive breaches his client’s constitutional rights and should be reviewed by the Supreme Court before the criminal proceedings continue.
According to the defence, the requirement under Part 2(3a) of the 2018 Practice Direction on criminal proceedings unfairly compels the accused to disclose elements of her defence prematurely.
Mr Marfo maintained that the constitutional interpretation being sought at the Supreme Court could significantly affect the conduct of the trial and therefore requested a stay of proceedings pending the apex court’s determination.
But the presiding judge, Justice Audrey Kocuvi-Tay, dismissed the request, insisting that the pending Supreme Court case would not interfere with the prosecution’s presentation of evidence.
The court initially scheduled the continuation of the prosecution’s case for Tuesday, May 12, 2026. However, counsel for the accused indicated he would not be available for the remainder of the week, leading the court to adjourn proceedings to May 18, 2026.
The Supreme Court is expected to deliver its ruling on the constitutional challenge a day later, on May 19, 2026.
The case forms part of a wider corruption investigation into alleged payroll fraud at the NSA, which authorities say resulted in the loss of more than GHS2.2 billion to the state.
Investigative reports by The Fourth Estate in 2025 uncovered widespread irregularities within the NSA’s payroll system, including the use of ghost names and fake identities to siphon public funds.
The investigations alleged that thousands of fictitious beneficiaries, including underage persons and individuals with no verified links to tertiary institutions, were added to the Authority’s database through manipulated posting systems.
Following the exposé, the Office of the Attorney-General launched investigations that reportedly uncovered extensive financial misconduct involving senior NSA officials and private-sector collaborators.
Attorney-General Dominic Ayine later disclosed that the fraudulent activities had caused financial losses exceeding GHS2.2 billion.
Mrs Oware-Mensah and former NSA Executive Director Osei Assibey Antwi are among several individuals facing charges including stealing, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state.
CREDIT: Mavis Fantevi
