Government Targets Recovery of GHS 560m Lost to NSS Ghost Names Scheme
The Government is pursuing the recovery of over GH¢560 million allegedly lost to ghost name payments at the National Service Scheme (NSS), with 22 individuals identified in a damning investigative report submitted to the Attorney General’s office.
Deputy Attorney General, Dr Justice Srem Sai, made the revelations during an appearance on JoyNews stating that the preliminary docket is being built to prosecute those implicated in the report.
“The investigators submitted the report last week. We are currently building a docket on that,” Dr Srem Sai disclosed. “They identified 22 accused persons for the ghost names part.”
The amount involved, he noted, reflects one of the largest single instances of payroll-related fraud in the public sector.
‘Cost vs Benefit’ in Prosecutions
While 22 people have been cited in the report, not all may be prosecuted in court, as the Deputy Attorney General explained that considerations around cost-effectiveness and recovery potential will influence the final list of prosecutions.
“You have to weigh the cost in terms of time, effort of bringing all these people to court, and the benefit you get of retrieving the money,” he stated.
According to him, several of the accused persons have expressed a willingness to cooperate, with some offering to return the funds or serve as prosecution witnesses.
“Only a few are not willing — but a lot of them are willing to return the money,” Dr Srem Sai noted. “Some have also shown a desire to testify against others.”
This, he said, could significantly reduce the number of persons eventually charged as the prosecution team considers plea deals and cooperation agreements.
Plea Bargaining in Play
Dr Srem Sai confirmed that plea bargaining remains an option, particularly for those ready to plead guilty and refund stolen monies in exchange for leniency.
“After we charge them, they have the opportunity to do what we call plea bargaining… to say, ‘Well, we are guilty. But instead of sending us to prison for this number of years, you can reduce it, and we return this amount of money,’” he explained.
He indicated that each case will be assessed on merit, with prosecutors considering recovery, deterrence, and the value of testimony to secure broader accountability.
Broader Financial Irregularities Under Probe
The ghost name scandal is only one aspect of a broader investigation into alleged financial misconduct at the National Service Secretariat. The Secretariat, which operates several initiatives including farming and project ventures, is under scrutiny for additional irregularities.
“National Service is in different aspects,” said Dr Srem Sai. “There’s an aspect of the projects the Secretariat undertakes. They have farms where they acquire property, grow and sell produce. Then there’s the issue of paying ghost National Service persons.”
He hinted that more reports are expected from ongoing investigations into other operational areas of the Scheme.
As the prosecutorial process unfolds, government sources say the immediate priority is to secure recovery of state funds while ensuring accountability and systemic reform within the NSS.
