Former NSS Deputy Director-General, Gifty Oware-Mensah, Accused of Directing ADB to Transfer NSS Funds to Private Account

The GH¢31 million financial loss claim against Gifty Oware-Mensah, the former Deputy Director-General of the National Service Authority (NSA), has sparked significant interest in Ghana. A key prosecution witness, Gilbert Sebe-Yeboah, Head of Commercial Banking at the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), has testified that Oware-Mensah instructed the bank to transfer funds equivalent to allowances for 10,000 National Service personnel into a private account allegedly connected to her.

Speaking during proceedings, Sebe-Yeboah testified that the bank received instructions from the former NSA official to transfer the funds. According to him, the transfers were carried out based on directives issued by Oware-Mensah. However, the testimony was immediately challenged by defence counsel Gary Nimako, who objected to the witness's claim and demanded evidence to substantiate the allegation. The objection sparked a lengthy exchange during the cross-examination, prompting the presiding judge to briefly adjourn proceedings for about five minutes before the hearing resumed.

Oware-Mensah was appointed Deputy Director-General of the NSA in 2015 and served until her resignation in 2022. She is yet to respond to the allegations against her. The trial of Gifty Oware-Mensah began in earnest, with the prosecution alleging that she caused a financial loss of over GH¢31 million to the state. The funds in question are said to be part of the allowances paid to over 10,000 National Service personnel. The bank's Head of Commercial Banking, Gilbert Sebe-Yeboah, is expected to produce documentary evidence to back up his claims.

Sebe-Yeboah testified that Oware-Mensah's instructions were clear: 'She instructed us to transfer the funds into the private account, and we carried out the transfer based on her directives.'

The presiding judge has ordered the bank to produce evidence of the transfers, which he believes will help resolve the dispute. Oware-Mensah's lawyer has denied all allegations levelled against her. The trial is ongoing and is expected to run for several weeks. The case has sparked widespread interest in Ghana, with many calling for transparency in government dealings. The government has vowed to root out any form of corruption within the public sector.

Gifty Oware-Mensah's appointment as Deputy Director-General of the NSA has been marked by controversy. In 2019, she was accused of mismanaging funds meant for the NSA. A source within the NSA revealed that Oware-Mensah had directed the bank to transfer over GH¢31 million of NSA funds into a private account. The source claimed that Oware-Mensah had explained that the transfer was meant to pay the National Service personnel. However, the source questioned the necessity of transferring the funds into a private account.

The source said that Oware-Mensah's actions seemed suspicious, and the transfer of funds was not transparent.