Gifty Oware-Mensah at Center of GH₵548 Million National Service Fraud – Attorney General Reveals

The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has identified Gifty Oware-Mensah — a former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA) and a current Executive Council member of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) — as a central figure in a massive GH₵548 million financial scandal.

Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, June 13, 2025, Dr. Ayine revealed findings from the “Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL)” investigation, which uncovered a sophisticated fraud scheme allegedly led by Oware-Mensah.

According to the Attorney General, Oware-Mensah is accused of fraudulently acquiring a GH₵30.6 million loan from the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) by registering a company, Blocks of Life Consult, without the consent or knowledge of its supposed directors — one of whom was her husband, lawyer Peter Mensah.

The loan, which was meant to provide household appliances for national service personnel, was reportedly funneled into private accounts. Investigators allege that 9,934 ghost names were created to facilitate the diversion of funds. Of the total amount, GH₵22.9 million was transferred to AMAECOM, a company Oware-Mensah is said to direct, while other sums were disbursed to businesses linked to co-conspirators.

The scandal — first exposed by investigative journalism outlet The Fourth Estate — included falsified payroll records, inflated budgets, and collusion with vendors. Over a six-year period (2018–2024), the state is believed to have lost GH₵548 million, with a staggering GH₵350 million embezzled during the 2022/2023 service year alone.

Twelve NSA officials and eight vendors are currently facing a range of charges, including stealing, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state. Dr. Ayine disclosed that some vendors have agreed to cooperate with prosecutors under non-prosecution deals in exchange for their testimony.

“These fraudulent acts go against the core mission of the National Service Authority — to instill patriotism, discipline, and national development,” the Attorney General emphasized, pledging to recover every stolen cedi.