Osei Assibey Antwi trial: Prosecution files documents in GH¢431m NSA scandal case
The Attorney-General has filed documents in court as part of the prosecution of a former Executive Director of the National Service Authority over an alleged GH¢431.7 million financial loss to the state.
The accused, Osei Assibey Antwi, is standing trial on 21 counts, including causing financial loss to the state, stealing and money laundering. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
At a hearing on Monday, April 13, 2026, the prosecution informed the court that it had submitted part of the documents it intends to rely on, but requested additional time to file the remaining materials.
The court subsequently adjourned proceedings to May 13, 2026, and varied the bail conditions of the accused, ordering him to report to the Bureau of National Intelligence as part of the revised terms.
According to the prosecution, investigations by the Bureau of National Intelligence uncovered that 63,672 unverified registrants were submitted into the payment system between 2018 and 2024 for service allowances and vendor-related payments.
Between August 2021 and February 2025, the Authority is alleged to have disbursed GH¢431,761,556.76 to individuals who either did not undertake national service or whose identities could not be verified.
The prosecution contends that Mr Assibey Antwi, who served as Executive Director from September 2021 to January 2025, authorised personnel lists submitted to the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems Limited for the processing of monthly allowances.
As principal spending officer, he was responsible for overseeing the Authority’s operations and was a signatory to its accounts.
Several counts on the charge sheet allege that funds meant for service personnel allowances were transferred to an e-zwich card registered in the name of the accused.
Investigators say the card received GH¢8,256,000 between 2022 and 2024. The prosecution further claims that the accused failed to disclose the existence of the card during the handover process and denied knowledge of it during interrogation.
The card was later recovered during a search at his residence in Dome on March 25, 2025, with further checks reportedly indicating that he personally withdrew funds from it.
The prosecution also alleges that payments were made to vendors under the Authority’s marketplace system without services being rendered, with some vendors reportedly refunding monies directly to the accused in cash instead of returning them to the Authority.
One such instance cited involves GH¢7,704,880.92 paid to Direct Savings and Loans despite no services being provided.
Additional charges relate to the Sekyere-Kumawu Economic Enclave project, where GH¢106 million was transferred from the Authority’s control account to a project account between August 2022 and June 2024.
Prosecutors argue that contracts awarded for land clearing and irrigation development did not deliver value for money, resulting in an estimated loss of GH¢61,289,843.30.
The accused is facing charges of improper payment of public funds under the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), alongside counts of causing financial loss to the Republic and money laundering.
The case continues next month as the prosecution prepares to complete the filing of its evidence.
