Former Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), Osei Assibey Antwi is facing 14 criminal charges, including theft, money laundering, and causing financial harm to the state, in connection with a case involving over GH¢600 million.
As outlined in the charge sheet submitted to the High Court in Accra, Assibey Antwi is accused of approving payments to more than 60,000 fictitious national service personnel and misusing public funds during his leadership from August 2021 to February 2025.
He has been charged under sections 179A(1) and 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), as well as section 1(2)(c) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044).
In the first count, prosecutors claim that Assibey Antwi deliberately caused a financial loss of GH¢500,861,744.02 to the state by sanctioning allowance payments to over 60,000 non-existent service personnel between August 2021 and February 2025.
He is also charged with six counts of theft, with allegations that he unlawfully took several million cedis from the NSA between August 2023 and May 2024.
Also, the specific amounts allegedly stolen include: GH¢3.6 million on August 22, 2023, GH¢516,000 each on September 11, October 26, and November 23, 2023, GH¢1.03 million on December 18, 2023 and GH¢2.06 million on May 14, 2024.
Further allegations state that between January 2022 and December 2024, Assibey Antwi authorised the transfer of GH¢8.26 million from the NSA’s Control Account to his personal e-zwich card (No. 1177042059), resulting in additional financial loss.
This transaction is also cited as part of the money laundering charges, with claims that he knowingly received funds derived from illegal activities.
The charge sheet also references unauthorised withdrawals totalling GH¢74 million from the Kumawu Farm Project account (No. 1018631542212), which prosecutors say were not used for their designated purpose.
The charge sheet also indicates withdrawals including a GH¢55 million on September 30, 2022, a GH¢15 million on October 20, 2023 and a GH¢4 million on January 24, 2024.
All three transactions are alleged to have been made without applying the funds to the intended agricultural project.
The case will be heard at the Accra High Court, where prosecutors are expected to present supporting evidence.
However, Mr. Assibey Antwi has not entered a plea as it stands.
