Former Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), Osei Assibey Antwi, has pleaded not guilty to allegedly authorising payment of allowances to 60,000 non-existent (ghost) national service personnel.

Assibey Antwi is accused of misappropriating public funds during his tenure between August 2021 and February 2025.

According to the Attorney-General, between August 2021 and February 2025, Antwi allegedly authorized payments of GH¢500.86 million in allowances to over 60,000 non-existent (ghost) national service personnel.

He denied 14 counts comprising seven counts of causing financial loss, six counts of stealing, and a count of money laundering, under sections 179A(1) and 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and section 1(2)(c) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044).

EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, who is in Court, reports that lawyers of the accused are currently advancing a self-recognisance bail argument.

Deputy Attorney General, Dr Justice Srem Sai, said the prosecution does not oppose the grants of bail.

He, however, argued that, under his watch, some over GH¢1.5 billion cannot be accounted for, and the bail conditions should compel the accused to stand trial.