Osei Assibey Antwi, the former Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), has been charged with 14 counts, including stealing, money laundering, and causing financial harm to the Republic, in a case worth over GH¢600 million.
The former head of the NSA is charged with misappropriating public monies and authorising payments to approximately 60,000 nonexistent national service people during his term from August 2021 to February 2025, according to a charge sheet submitted to the High Court in Accra.
Mr. Assibey Antwi is charged with several offences under section 1(2)(c) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044) and sections 179A(1) and 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Prosecutors claim that the former head of the NSA wilfully led the Republic to lose GH¢500,861,744.02 by approving the payment of allowances to more than 60,000 “ghost” service members between August 2021 and February 2025.
In addition, he is charged with six counts of theft. According to the prosecution, he stole several million cedis worth of funds from the National Service Authority between August 2023 and May 2024.
Among the purported thefts are:
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
Prosecutors also alleged that Mr. Assibey Antwi authorised transactions from the NSA’s Control Account to his personal e-zwich card account (No. 1177042059), resulting in an additional GH¢8.26 million loss to the state between January 2022 and December 2024.
The state claims that he intentionally obtained possession of money that was the proceeds of illegal conduct, and this transaction is the foundation of a money laundering accusation.
Additionally, the charge sheet mentions GH¢74 million in unauthorised withdrawals from the Kumawu Farm Project account (No. 1018631542212), which the prosecution claims were not utilised for their original purpose.
Mr. Assibey Antwi is specifically charged with:
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.
Prosecutors will likely provide evidence to back up the charges in the Accra High Court, where the case is scheduled to be heard. Mr. Assibey Antwi, who was the NSA’s Executive Director until the beginning of 2025, has not yet pleaded.
Source: newsthemegh.com