Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has disclosed a massive payroll fraud at the National Service Authority (NSA), where over GH¢548 million was lost through the inclusion of thousands of ghost names.
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, 13 June 2025, Dr. Ayine revealed that a criminal network operating within the NSA was behind the large-scale financial loss. The disclosure is part of updates on the government’s anti-corruption campaign under the “Operation Recover All Loot” (ORAL) initiative.
The scandal came to light after President John Dramani Mahama ordered the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to investigate payroll irregularities at the NSA, following the shocking discovery of over 8,000 fake names on its system.
According to Dr. Ayine, initial findings suggest the fraud was carried out by individuals who held senior positions during the previous administration led by former President Nana Akufo-Addo. He described the scheme as a well-organized “criminal enterprise” involving top executives, directors, NSA employees, and outside contractors.
“In total, the state lost approximately GH¢548,333,542.65 to this orchestrated scheme,” Dr. Ayine said. “These ghost names were deliberately added to the payroll by NSA insiders and then used to siphon off public funds.”
The Attorney General emphasized that investigations are ongoing and promised that anyone implicated will be brought to justice under the full force of the law.
