Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has disclosed that the scale of financial loss uncovered at the National Service Scheme (NSA) has ballooned to GHS 2.2 billion, following a forensic audit conducted by the Auditor General.
He made the revelation while presenting at the latest edition of the Government Accountability Series in Accra, where he reaffirmed his commitment to prosecuting those involved in what has become one of Ghana’s largest public sector corruption cases.
Dr. Ayine explained that the new figure represents a significant escalation from the GHS 548 million earlier identified by investigators in June 2025. According to him, the forensic audit uncovered deeper layers of systemic fraud involving inflated payments, fake enrolments, and collusion between some public officers and private vendors.
“The Auditor General has conducted a forensic audit into the NSA, the National Service scandal, and the total amount of money stolen or illegally spent now stands at GHS2.2 billion and not the 548 million that was uncovered by my investigators as of June 2025”
Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, Attorney General and Minister of Justice
The Attorney General announced that formal charges had already been filed against the former Executive Director of the NSA, Osei Assibey, and his deputy, Gifty Oware. He further said additional cases were being prepared against other implicated officers and marketplace vendors who were part of the fraudulent scheme.
“Charges are being prepared against the rest of the public officers and the so-called marketplace vendors,” Dr. Ayine said, further revealing that additional cases would be brought against other implicated individuals who were part of the fraudulent scheme.
He also outlined that a total of about ten separate cases would be prosecuted under the NSA scandal, adding that his office intends to use some of the implicated individuals as witnesses for the state in order to strengthen the prosecutions.
“Now, this is a strategy that is working very well for us and we intend to continue using it,” the Attorney General explained.
Strategic Use of Witnesses
Dr Ayine justified this prosecutorial approach by noting that insider testimony from lesser offenders often provides crucial evidence against major culprits in complex corruption cases. “It is better as a matter of prosecutorial strategy to use a small criminal to get information on big criminals,” he said.
He assured Ghanaians that his office was determined to ensure accountability and transparency in the judicial process, stressing that cases would be pursued vigorously regardless of the individuals involved.
According to Dr. Ayine, the forensic audit conducted by the Auditor General revealed extensive evidence that requires the state to amend some of the original charges to reflect the new findings. For him, the audit had gone “beyond ordinary auditing” and provided the foundation for more precise and robust prosecutions.
He explained that his office is now reviewing the Auditor General’s report to file additional charges and update existing charge sheets, describing the process as a vital step in ensuring credible and evidence-based prosecutions.
Dr. Ayine held up a copy of the Auditor General’s report during the event, commending the institution for what he called “painstaking investigation” and promising that the findings would be translated into action.
The Attorney General also revealed that investigations remain ongoing in several related cases, with more prosecutions expected as evidence continues to emerge.
The Government Accountability Series, a flagship transparency initiative of the Presidency Communications Office, provides periodic updates from key government Ministries as a means of establishing institutional accountability under the NDC government.
Dr. Ayine of the Ministry of Justice, reaffirmed his commitment to keeping the public informed on progress made in the fight against corruption, emphasizing that justice would not be compromised under the administration of President John Dramani Mahama.
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