Former Deputy Director of the National Service Authority (NSA) and a current Executive Council member of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Gifty Oware-Mensah, has been arrested by the National Investigation Bureau (NIB) in connection with an alleged payroll fraud at the NSA.

Her detention is part of an ongoing probe into a ghost-name scandal that has sparked nationwide concern. Reports indicate that she was taken into custody on Friday, March 7, 2025, and remains detained despite multiple efforts to secure her bail.

She returned to Ghana on March 5, 2025, after spending time abroad following the 2024 elections. She had been away for a few months, taking a post-election break.

It is alleged that former NPP General Secretary, John Boadu, attempted to intervene to facilitate her release. However, she was later moved from the NIB premises to an undisclosed location.

The scandal was first uncovered by an investigative report by The Fourth Estate, which exposed fraudulent activities within the NSA’s payroll system.

In response, President John Dramani Mahama, in his first State of the Nation Address, directed law enforcement agencies to take firm action against those implicated.

This has led to intensified investigations and a series of arrests.

Authorities suspect that some individuals linked to the scheme have fled the country. Consequently, President Mahama has ordered the freezing of their assets to prevent them from benefiting from any illicitly acquired funds.

Before her arrest, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin had assured that Oware-Mensah was willing to cooperate with the NIB’s investigations.

Her legal team was reportedly arranging for her to meet with investigators when she was taken into custody.

Oware-Mensah had recently returned to Ghana on March 5, 2025, after spending time abroad following the 2024 elections.