The former Director-General of the National Service Authority (NSA), Osei-Assibey Antwi, has pleaded not guilty to 14 counts of financial crimes filed against him by the state, including charges of causing financial loss to the state, stealing, and money laundering totaling more than GH¢1.5 billion.
Presiding judge Justice Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie of the Accra High Court on Thursday October 30, granted the accused bail in the sum of GH¢800 million, with six sureties, each required to provide landed property equivalent to the bail amount as security.
As part of the bail conditions, Mr. Osei-Assibey has been ordered to deposit all his passports at the Court Registry and has been placed on the Ghana Immigration Service stop list pending the final determination of the case. He is also required to report to the Police Headquarters on the first and third Wednesdays of every month.
According to the charge sheet, Mr. Osei-Assibey, in his capacity as the principal spending officer and signatory to the NSA’s accounts, is alleged to have authorized payments to ghost names, resulting in significant financial losses to the state. The charges reportedly involve multiple transactions, with individual sums ranging from GH¢516,000 to GH¢55 million.
Counsel for the accused, Osei Owusu, argued that his client had been unfairly vilified in the media and maintained his innocence, emphasizing that he had fully cooperated with investigators and was not a flight risk.
The defense therefore prayed the court to grant bail, describing Mr. Osei-Assibey as a respected public servant who had served the Republic in several capacities.
Deputy Attorney-General Dr. Justice Srem-Sai did not oppose the bail application but urged the court to take into account the gravity of the offences and the magnitude of the sums involved, noting that the accused’s recent conduct raised concerns about his willingness to appear before the court.
The court directed the prosecution to file all disclosures, with the case scheduled to continue on December 2, 2025, at 9:00 a.m.
