Former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA) Gifty Oware-Mensah, has pleaded not guilty to five charges, including stealing and money laundering, in the ongoing GH¢38 million ghost names scandal.

She entered her plea at the Accra High Court on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, where she appeared alongside her legal team.

This comes just months after she was tipped to become the GFA’s Second Vice President, following FIFA’s approval of a proposal to elevate the Women’s Representative role to that position.

The charges against Oware-Mensah stem from allegations by the Attorney General’s Department, accusing her of stealing over GH¢38 million between February 2022 and March 2024 while overseeing finance, audit, and procurement at the NSA.

Gifty Oware-Mensah appears in court amid heavy police presence

Prosecutors claim she diverted GH¢31.5 million from a loan facility intended to support National Service Personnel into private company accounts linked to her, using “ghost names” from the Authority’s system.

She faces counts of stealing, willfully causing financial loss to the state, abuse of public office for personal gain, and money laundering.

Oware-Mensah, who maintains her innocence, remains an influential figure in Ghanaian football governance despite the deepening legal case against her.

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