The National Investigation Bureau (NIB) has reportedly detained Ghana Football Association Executive Council member, Gifty Oware-Mensah over a fraudulent act.
According to mynewsgh.com, former Deputy Director of the National Service Authority (NSS) was taken into custody on Friday, March 7, 2025, and has since been denied bail.
Her detention is in connection with an ongoing investigation being undertaken by the National Investigation Bureau (NIB) on payroll fraud during her tenure at the National Service Authority.
Reports indicated that John Boadu had earlier signed for her to be granted bail, but she was denied and whisked away from the premises of the National Investigation Bureau.
Although efforts have been made by her lawyers to secure her bail and also get the NIB to disclose the location in which she has been detained, all the efforts have proven futile.
She returned to the country on Tuesday, March 5, 2025, after she left Ghana for holidays abroad after the 2024 elections.
Her lawyer, Nana Agyei-Baffour, speaking to Joy News in an interview after she returned to the country indicated that she had not been invited by the NIB.
Gifty Oware-Mensah’s detention comes days after her colleague Ohene Djan was also detained after he was picked from his home in a Rambo-style style by officers of the National Investigation Bureau.
She has been a member of the GFA Executive Council since 2023 and she owns Berry Ladies and Kumasi Sports Academy FC.
NSS Payroll fraud
The NIB is probing her work at the NSS over allegations that thousands of ghost names were used to defraud the state of millions of cedis in allowances.
The government says it has uncovered a significant discrepancy in the National Service payroll, revealing 81,885 suspected ghost names.
This figure represents the difference between the actual number of active personnel and the payroll data submitted by the previous management of the National Service Authority (NSA).
According to the latest findings, there are currently 98,145 active service personnel, a stark contrast to the 180,030 names presented for allowance payment in 2024.
"This figure is 81,885 less than the 180,030 names presented by the previous management of the Authority for allowance payment in 2024," the statement read
The 81,885 names that have been flagged as potentially fraudulent or inflated could represent a major misuse of public funds.
As the Deputy Executive Director, Gifty Oware-Mensah had responsibility for administration and finance of the NSS and is expected to be a key witness in the ongoing investigations.
The alleged payroll fraud is reported to have cost the state a staggering GHȼ50 million each month.
The NIB recently detained and questioned Kwaku Ohene Djan, also a former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority, over the raging allegations.
