The Accra High Court has reduced the GH¢800 million bail granted to former National Service Authority (NSA) Executive Director Osei Assibey Antwi, lowering the amount to GH¢120 million after his lawyers argued that the original sum was impossible to execute.
Mr Antwi is standing trial on allegations that he authorised payments of GH¢500,861,744.02 in allowances to more than 60,000 non-existent national service personnel and diverted GH¢106 million from the NSA’s Kumawu Farm Project for his personal use.
He has pleaded not guilty to 14 counts, including causing financial loss, stealing and money laundering.
He was first granted bail on October 30, with Justice Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie ordering that he provide six sureties, each backed by landed property equivalent to the GH¢800 million bail sum. However, the accused was unable to meet the conditions.
Following a request from his legal team for a review, the court agreed to reduce the amount to GH¢120 million.
Mr Antwi is now required to deposit copies of his national identity documents at the court registry, report to the police headquarters on the first and third Wednesday of every month, and remain on the Ghana Immigration Service stop list, restricting him from foreign travel while the case proceeds.
Background
Per the fact sheet filed at the High Court, the Attorney-General said investigations revealed that from 2018 to 2024, about 63,672 non-existent (ghost) names were taken from the banned list and submitted to Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems Limited (GhIPPS) for either payment of allowances or for payment of vendors under the pretence that the ghost names had purchased items on hire-purchase from the vendors.
“It came to light that between August 2021 and February 2025, GH¢500,861,744.02 was paid as allowances to ghost names. The said ghost names were authorised by the accused person as Director of NSA and submitted to the GhIPSS,” he said.
He added that vendors who were interrogated by the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) confirmed that they were overpaid for goods and services rendered to the national service persons.
