Gifty Oware-Mensah charged with stealing GH¢31.5m

Gifty Oware-Mensah, the former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), has been charged with stealing and causing financial loss to the state, amounting to over GH¢31.5 million.

According to a charge sheet filed at the High Court in Accra on October 13, 2025, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, accused Oware-Mensah of multiple offences, including stealing, willfully causing financial loss, using public office for profit, and money laundering.

Prosecutors alleged that between February 2022 and March 2024, Oware-Mensah dishonestly appropriated GH¢31,502,091.40 belonging to the National Service Authority by causing the funds to be transferred to Blocks of Life Consult, a company she allegedly owned.

“She dishonestly abused her office for personal benefit by authorizing the transfer of public funds to a company of which she was the ultimate beneficial owner,” the charge sheet stated.

The state further alleged that Oware-Mensah’s actions resulted in an additional financial loss of GH¢6,956,157.47 in interest charges to the government after the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) processed the loan for Blocks of Life Consult.

On the count of money laundering, prosecutors said the accused transferred the GH¢31.5 million from the National Service Authority’s hire-purchase escrow account to disguise the illicit origin of the funds. “She knew the money to be proceeds of unlawful activity,” the prosecution noted.

The case, filed under number CR/018/2026, is before the High Court in Accra. Oware-Mensah has yet to publicly respond to the charges.

In March, the former NSS boss was arrested following her returned to Ghana amid the escalating investigations into ghost names relating to ghost names.

After reports of being denied bail, she was later granted one few days later.

Later she was granted bail.

Before serving as the Head of the National Service Authority, she served as deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA). She is an Executive Council member of the Ghana Football Association (GFA).