The bail amount for Osei Assibey Antwi, former Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), has been reduced from GH¢800 million to GH¢623 million by the High Court.However, all other conditions attached to the earlier bail have been maintained. The adjustment in the bail amount follows an appeal by Osei Assibey Antwi’s lawyers, who pleaded with the Court for a reduction, arguing that the initial amount was impossible to attain.Osei Assibey Antwi and his former deputy, Gifty Oware-Mensah, are standing trial for their alleged involvement in financial irregularities and procurement breaches during their tenure at the National Service Authority. Gifty Oware-Mensah has been released after fulfilling the GH¢10 million bail requirement set by the court, while Osei Assibey Antwi remains in custody as he has yet to meet his bail condition. Gifty Oware-Mensah has pleaded not guilty to charges of causing a financial loss of over GH¢38 million to the state.She faces five counts, while her former boss, Osei Assibey Antwi, faces fourteen charges. In total, the alleged offenses connected to Mr. Antwi are valued at approximately GH¢615,117,744.02.Last month, the court indefinitely adjourned the case after the duo failed to appear before it for a hearing. Explaining their absence, Mr. Assibey Antwi’s legal counsel noted that his client was busy cooperating with the police on a separate matter in Kumasi.Mrs. Oware-Mensah’s lawyers disclosed that their client was unwell and unable to attend proceedings. Their charges include willfully causing financial loss to the state, stealing, money laundering, and using public office for profit.The accusations include causing financial loss to the Republic, with the main charge suggesting that Mr. Antwi approved payments of allowances to over 60,000 ghost national service personnel, leading to a total loss of GH¢500,861,744.02.He is also charged with several counts of theft amounting to GH¢8,256,000, which allegedly occurred between August 2023 and May 2024.Prosecutors allege that Mr. Antwi diverted project funds by authorizing the withdrawal of GH¢106 million from the NSA’s Kumawu Farm Project account on five different occasions without using any of it for the intended purpose.The state also contends that he engaged in money laundering by transferring GH¢8.26 million into his personal e-zwich account and taking control of the funds despite knowing they were criminal proceeds.Court documents indicate that Oware-Mensah, who managed the Finance and Procurement units of the NSA, allegedly masterminded a sophisticated scheme centered on the Authority’s “marketplace” platform—a system intended to offer hire-purchase services to national service personnel.Prosecutors claim she gained control of a private entity, Blocks of Life Consult, and created a list of 9,934 fictitious names within the NSA database. She is said to have then approached the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), falsely asserting that her company had supplied goods to those ghost beneficiaries and required a loan, using their fake allowances as collateral.This deception allegedly led to a loan arrangement between ADB and the NSA, resulting in GH¢31.5 million being paid directly into her company’s account. Of that amount, she is accused of transferring over GH¢22.9 million to another company where she also served as a director. Investigations revealed that no goods were ever delivered to any service personnel.Her actions, with interest included, are alleged to have cost the state a total of GH¢38,458,248.87.A couple of months ago, the Attorney-General (A-G) and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, revealed that eight individuals, including three former officers of the National Service Authority (NSA), had admitted to their involvement in the misappropriation of funds at the National Service Scheme (NSS).Providing an update on the case as part of the Government Accountability Series on Monday, July 28, Dr. Ayine disclosed that eight individuals wished to plead guilty in exchange for lighter punishment. He explained that the office intended to file formal charges last week; however, this was postponed following new revelations regarding the ongoing case. The new evidence, he noted, is tied to a Bank of Ghana account linked to former NSA Director-General, Mr. Osei Assibey, suggesting potential embezzlement involving public funds.According to him, a total of GH¢189 million was deposited into the account of Mr. Osei Assibey; however, GH¢80 million cannot be accounted for. Furthermore, nearly GH¢2 million was allegedly withdrawn using two cheques that carried Mr. Assibey’s name and account information.The A-G stated that the office has reached out to the Bank of Ghana, the Ministry of Finance, and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department for further information and documentation.“The National Service Authority scandal case was due to be filed last week. However, we stumbled upon evidence of malfeasance involving an account at the Bank of Ghana. Out of the GH¢189 million transferred, GH¢80 million cannot be traced. Two cheques linked to the former Director-General were used to withdraw just under GH¢2 million,” Dr. Ayine stated.He added that some of the accused have shown readiness to provide testimony against their fellow accused, with several vendors and service providers also reportedly willing to support the prosecution as witnesses.Earlier this year, a non-profit investigative body, The Fourth Estate, released a report into payroll records from 2017 to 2023 and the 2024 National Service Year. The findings 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 on the payroll with a photo but without 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. The 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. After the court lifted the injunction, the report was finally released.In response, President John Dramani Mahama ordered a probe into the matter. Following the President's directive, the NIB 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 NSA.The payroll fraud reportedly costs Ghana GH¢50 million monthly. In May, the Authority interdicted two of its officials in the Birim North District of the Eastern Region.