NSS Scandal: No room for delays, ‘I am here to work’ judge fires at Gifty Oware-Mensah’s lawyer

An Accra High Court on Wednesday rejected an attempt by lawyers for the former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority, Gifty Oware-Mensah, to delay the commencement of her trial to allow more time to address pre-trial issues.

Gary Nimako Marfo, counsel for Oware-Mensah, made the request immediately after Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa , the Director of Public Prosecution, informed the court of the prosecution’s intention to make “slight” adjustments to the figures contained in the charge sheet.

Although the prosecution assured the court that the amendments would be made later the same day, the presiding judge, Justice Audrey Kocuvi-Tay, was not happy with the approach.

 Justice Kocuvi-Tay stated that the proposed amendments would not prevent the court from fixing a date for the trial to begin.

She suggested that the prosecution could have swiftly effected the changes and served the defence since all parties were present in court.

“If I were you, I would have asked one of my colleagues to quickly do that and serve them now because they [counsel for the accused] are here,” the judge said.

However, Oware-Mensah’s lawyer, who have been asking for more time, throughout the case management process, saw a window of opportunity, in the prosecution’s request to the court. When Mr Marfo took his turn, he agreed with prosecution’s request, urging the court to allow more time for the amendments to be completed and served before any trial date is fixed.

He argued that without the amended charge sheet, the defence would be unable to adequately prepare or advise its client.

“My Lady, let the prosecution amend the charge sheet as she has informed the court before setting a date for the trial. Without that, it is obvious we cannot do anything,” he said, before adding, “My Lady, please go slowly.”

The remark drew an immediate rebuke from the bench. Justice Kocuvi-Tay ordered defence counsel to withdraw it, stressing that the court would not be dictated to.

“What do you mean by I should go slowly? Withdraw that statement. I am here to work,” the judge said.

With judge not entertaining any room for delays, Mr Nimako took his seat. 

Justice Kocuvi-Tay subsequently fixed January 22, 2026, as the date for the start of the trial.

Meanwhile, the case has been adjourned to January 20, 2026.

Pensive mood

On the day the court took a major step toward the commencement of trial, Oware-Mensah sat quietly in the courtroom.

She was dressed in a light blue long-sleeved shirt patterned with white dots, paired with blue-black trousers and black shoes. Red-and-black framed glasses rested on her face as she followed proceedings with a focused, subdued expression. She watched intently as the case management unfolded, her gaze switching between the judge and her lawyers.   

Background

Oware-Mensah is facing multiple criminal charges, including stealing, willfully causing financial loss to the state, and money laundering. She was formally charged on Monday, October 13, 2025.

According to the Attorney General, Mrs Oware-Mensah allegedly caused the creation of 9,934 fictitious names in the National Service Authority database. Investigators say she then used her private company, Blocks of Life Consult, to secure a GH¢31.5 million loan from the Agricultural Development Bank. This figure forms part of total losses that the Attorney General now places at GH¢2.2 billion, a significant revision from an earlier estimate of GH¢548 million.

The Attorney General further disclosed that eight suspects connected to the case have approached the office to negotiate plea bargains.

Fact sheets filed by the prosecution indicate that Mrs Oware-Mensah claimed her company supplied goods to national service personnel under a hire-purchase arrangement. Investigations, however, revealed that the purported beneficiaries were fictitious and that no goods were ever supplied.

Funds from the ADB loan were reportedly paid into the company’s account and later transferred to other businesses linked to her, resulting in a total loss of GH¢38,458,248.87 to the state.

The case stems from a 2025 investigation by The Fourth Estate, which exposed large-scale corruption at the National Service Authority. The investigation uncovered the padding of thousands of ghost names in the Authority’s database, allegedly used to manipulate postings and siphon billions of cedis in service allowances.

The Fourth Estate’s investigations

Dubbed the NSS Scandal, the investigation went beyond ghost names and raising concerns about value for money, data security, and the integrity of the Centralised Service Management Platform, commonly referred to as the Metric App, which is 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 platform was subsequently deployed.

The Office of the Attorney General later launched an independent investigation, relying heavily on evidence uncovered by The Fourth Estate. The findings confirmed widespread financial irregularities, with senior executives of the National Service Authority allegedly colluding with private vendors to defraud the state.