More trouble for former NSA Director Osei Assibey as prosecution amends charge sheet to 21 counts

State prosecutors on Monday revised the charge sheet in the criminal trial of former National Service Authority (NSA) Executive Director, Osei Assibey Antwi, increasing the number of charges against him from 14 to 21.

The new charges include multiple counts of money laundering, stealing and improper payment of public funds, all linked to alleged financial improprieties prosecutors say caused significant loss to the state.

Mr Assibey pleaded not guilty to all 21 counts when the charges were read to him in court.

Bail plea

Lead defence counsel for Mr Assibey, Ralph Poku-Adusei, appealed to the court to maintain favourable bail conditions for his client, arguing that Mr Assibey had cooperated fully with investigators since the case began.

He also asked the court to allow his client to report to the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) office in Kumasi instead of Accra for the time being. Mr Assibey, as part of his initial bail condition, was to report to the NIB twice a month (First and third Wednesdays).

However, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, opposed the request, arguing that since the prosecution was being conducted in Accra, the accused should continue reporting to the NIB office in the capital.

The presiding judge, Justice Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie, agreed with the prosecution and directed Mr Assibey to continue reporting to the NIB in Accra, noting that he would be present in the city during the trial.

The court subsequently fixed April 13, 2026, for the commencement of the trial.

Details of the amended charges

Prosecutors allege that Mr Assibey caused a financial loss of more than GHS431 million to the state through payments made to unverified individuals and non-existent national service personnel.

According to the amended charge sheet filed before the Accra High Court, the offences are said to have occurred between August 2021 and February 2025, during Mr Assibey’s tenure as Executive Director of the NSA.

Prosecutors said the improper payments were processed through the authority’s allowance payment system, which normally requires the preparation of a validated list of National Service Personnel (NSP) before submission to the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) for disbursement into beneficiaries’ e-zwich accounts.

Investigators say the payments were made despite the individuals not being legitimate service personnel.

Vendors allegedly refunded Cash

Court documents also indicate that the NSA operates a “marketplace” platform, which allows service personnel to purchase goods or access loans from registered vendors, with repayments deducted from their monthly allowances.

However, investigators from the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) say several vendors admitted during interrogation that they received payments from GhIPSS without providing any goods or services to service personnel.

According to prosecutors, the vendors allegedly refunded the monies in cash directly to Mr Assibey instead of the National Service Authority.

Secret E-Zwich card allegation

Investigations further revealed that in 2022, Mr Assibey allegedly obtained an e-zwich card linked to an NSA account at the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB).

The card, registered with his biometric details and in his name, was reportedly submitted to GhIPSS and used to receive funds meant for national service allowances.

Prosecutors say that between 2022 and 2024, a total of GH¢8,256,000 was transferred to the card.

According to the prosecution, Mr Assibey failed to disclose the existence of the card when handing over to his successor.

When initially questioned, he allegedly denied having the card. However, investigators reportedly discovered it in a bedside drawer during a search of his residence at Dome on March 25, 2025.

Kumawu farm project under scrutiny

The prosecution also raised concerns about payments linked to the Kumawu Farm Project, an initiative undertaken during Mr Assibey’s tenure.

Investigators say that between August 2022 and June 2024, about GH¢106 million was transferred from the NSA’s control account to a project account for the initiative.

Contracts were reportedly awarded for activities including land clearing and irrigation development, but investigators say the state did not receive value for the money spent.

Prosecutors estimate that the project caused an additional financial loss of about GH¢61,289,843.30 to the state.

Background

Mr Assibey’s trial over the alleged GH¢431 million loss forms part of a broader investigation into financial irregularities at the NSA. The Attorney-General’s office has now placed the total suspected losses at about GH¢2.2 billion, a significant increase from an earlier estimate of GH¢548 million.

The prosecution follows a 2025 investigation by The Fourth Estate, which uncovered widespread corruption within the NSA, including the padding of thousands of ghost names onto the Authority’s database.

The investigation alleged that the ghost names were used to manipulate postings and siphon billions of cedis in national service allowances.

Dubbed the NSS Scandal, the investigation also raised concerns about value for money, data security, and the integrity of the Centralised Service Management Platform, popularly known as the Metric App used to recruit and post service personnel.

Following the publication of the investigation, the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment suspended the Authority’s Central Management System, paving the way for a comprehensive technical and forensic audit.

A new digital platform was subsequently introduced.

The Office of the Attorney-General later launched an independent investigation, relying heavily on evidence uncovered by The Fourth Estate.

According to prosecutors, the findings confirmed widespread financial irregularities, with senior officials of the National Service Authority allegedly colluding with private vendors to defraud the state.