The National Service Authority (NSA) has interdicted two of its officials in the Brim North District, Eastern Region.Per an official release by the NSA on Wednesday, May 14, the culprits were found guilty of their involvement in a "well-orchestrated act of systemic fraud" within the area.The NSA explained that the culprits falsified records to approve and process monthly allowances for 78 personnel: at least 29 in the 2024/2025 service year and 49 in the 2023/2024 service year.The Authority has noted that the suspension of the district manager and the MIS manager remains in effect pending the outcome of investigations.“The Management of the National Service Authority (NSA), through a collaboration with a whistleblower, has uncovered a well-orchestrated act of systemic fraud involving the District Manager and the MIS Manager in the Birim North District of the Eastern Region.

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"During a meeting convened this morning, both individuals were presented with substantial evidence of their misconduct. In further discussions the two officers admitted to their direct involvement in the fraudulent activity. As a result, the Management of the Authority has interdicted the two officers, pending further investigations," parts of the release read.Earlier this year, a non-profit investigative body, The Fourth Estate, released a report into the payroll records from 2017 to 2023 and the 2024 National Service Year.The finding revealed serious irregularities within the NSA, uncovering how a 72-year-old Kenyan, Kwame Donkor, was wrongly listed as a beneficiary. Mr Donkor was enlisted in the payroll with a photo and not an official ID card, which is unusual. However, the photo belonged to Emmanuel Mutio, a Human Resource Manager at a private IT company in Kenya. 72-year-old Kenyan had his name appear on the payroll 226 times as a registered beneficiary.The Fourth Estate initially uncovered the issue in November 2024, but the NSA obtained a court order preventing them from publishing the findings.

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After the court later lifted the injunction, the report was finally released. In response, President John Dramani Mahama ordered a probe into the matter.The NIB, upon the President's directive, interrogated the former Deputy Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), Gifty Oware-Mensah and Kwaku Ohene Djan who is also a former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority.The payroll fraud reportedly cost Ghana GHȼ50 million monthly.

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