The scale of financial losses linked to the ongoing National Service Authority (NSA) scandal is far greater than initially estimated, according to the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine.

Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Wednesday, Dr. Ayine disclosed that a forensic audit conducted by the Auditor General has uncovered a staggering GHS 2.2 billion in funds either stolen or illegally expended within the NSA.

This new figure represents a sharp increase from the GHS 548 million originally identified by investigators as of June 2025.

“The Auditor General has completed a forensic audit into the NSA scandal, and the total amount of money stolen or illegally spent now stands at GHS 2.2 billion,” Dr. Ayine revealed.
“This is significantly higher than the GHS 548 million that was uncovered by our investigators earlier this year.”

The Attorney General assured the public that government remains committed to ensuring full accountability and the prosecution of all individuals found culpable in the scandal, which has been described as one of the largest cases of financial misconduct in a state agency in recent years.

Ongoing Prosecution

Meanwhile, former Deputy Executive Director of the NSA, Gifty Oware Mensah, who has been implicated in the scandal, has pleaded not guilty to charges of causing financial loss of more than GH¢38 million to the state.

Mrs. Oware Mensah appeared before the Accra High Court on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, where she was charged with five counts, including willfully causing financial loss to the state, stealing, money laundering, and using public office for profit.

According to prosecutors, during her tenure, the accused allegedly created about 9,934 fictitious National Service personnel and profited unlawfully from the monthly allowances disbursed under those ghost names, leading to an estimated GH¢38 million loss to the government.

The revelations from the Auditor General’s audit have further intensified calls for a comprehensive overhaul of financial management systems within the NSA and other public institutions to prevent future misuse of state funds.