Former NSS Boss charged with GH¢600m financial loss, stealing and money laundering

The former Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), Osei Assibey Antwi, has been charged with 14 counts, including causing financial loss to the Republic, stealing, and money laundering, in a case involving more than GH¢600 million.

According to a charge sheet filed at the High Court in Accra, the former NSA boss is accused of authorising payments to over 60,000 non-existent national service personnel and misappropriating public funds during his tenure between August 2021 and February 2025.

Mr. Assibey Antwi is facing multiple counts under sections 179A(1) and 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and section 1(2)(c) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044).

Ghost Names and Unauthorised Payments

On Count One, prosecutors allege that the former NSA boss willfully caused financial loss of GH¢500,861,744.02 to the Republic by authorising the payment of allowances to over 60,000 “ghost” service personnel between August 2021 and February 2025.

He also faces six counts of stealing, with the prosecution claiming that between August 2023 and May 2024, he dishonestly appropriated various sums of money totalling several million cedis belonging to the National Service Authority.

The alleged thefts include:

GH¢3.6 million on August 22, 2023

GH¢516,000 each on September 11, October 26, and November 23, 2023

GH¢1.03 million on December 18, 2023

GH¢2.06 million on May 14, 2024

Transfers to Personal Account

Prosecutors further allege that between January 2022 and December 2024, Mr. Assibey Antwi caused an additional GH¢8.26 million loss to the state by authorising transfers from the NSA’s Control Account to his personal e-zwich card account (No. 1177042059).

This transaction also forms the basis of a money laundering charge, with the state alleging that he knowingly took possession of funds that were proceeds of unlawful activity.

Kumawu Farm Project Allegations

The charge sheet also cites unauthorised withdrawals from the Kumawu Farm Project account (No. 1018631542212), amounting to GH¢74 million, which prosecutors say were not used for their intended purpose.

Specifically, Mr. Assibey Antwi is accused of:

Withdrawing GH¢55 million on September 30, 2022,

GH¢15 million on October 20, 2023, and

GH¢4 million on January 24, 2024, —all allegedly without expending the funds on the project.

The case is expected to be heard at the Accra High Court, where prosecutors will present evidence to support the charges. Mr. Assibey Antwi, who served as Executive Director of the NSA until early 2025, has not yet entered a plea.