By Gifty Oware-Mensah is a former Deputy Director of the National Service Authority (NSA). She is also a current Executive Council member of the Ghana Football Association (GFA). The National Investigation Bureau (NIB) has detained her in connection with an alleged payroll fraud at the NSA.
Her arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into a ghost-name scandal that has drawn national attention.
Reports indicate that Oware-Mensah was taken into custody on Friday, 7th March 2025. She remains detained despite multiple attempts to secure her bail.
It is alleged that former NPP General Secretary, John Boadu, tried to intervene to facilitate her release. However, she was later transferred from the NIB premises to an undisclosed location.
The scandal first came to light following an exposé by The Fourth Estate. The exposé uncovered fraudulent activities within the NSA’s payroll system.
In his first State of the Nation Address, President John Dramani Mahama addressed the issue directly. He directed law enforcement agencies to take decisive action against those implicated. In response, authorities have intensified their investigations, leading to a series of arrests.
It has been suggested that some suspects linked to the scheme have already fled the country. In light of this, President Mahama has ordered the freezing of their assets. This action aims to prevent them from benefiting from any ill-gotten wealth.
Before her arrest, the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, assured that Gifty Oware-Mensah was willing to cooperate. She was ready to work with the NIB investigations.
Her legal representatives were reportedly making arrangements for her engagement with the authorities before she was taken into custody.
Gifty Oware-Mensah had only recently returned to Ghana on 5th March 2025, after a period abroad following the 2024 elections.
