Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has revealed the discovery of a large-scale payroll fraud at the National Service Authority (NSA), which has cost the state over GH¢548 million. The loss is attributed to a criminal network that inserted thousands of ghost names into the national payroll system.

Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, June 13, 2025, Dr. Ayine shared details of the ongoing investigations under the government’s Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative, aimed at retrieving embezzled public funds and prosecuting those involved in corruption.

The revelations follow a directive from President John Dramani Mahama for the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to probe irregularities at the NSA, after over 8,000 ghost names were discovered on the institution’s payroll.

Dr. Ayine described the fraud as a “criminal enterprise” carried out by certain individuals in positions of authority during the previous Akufo-Addo administration, including directors, staff members, and external service providers.

“In the 2022/2023 service year alone, the state lost GH¢350,926,977.12. For the 2023/2024 period, an additional GH¢32,881,157.07 was lost. In total, the country has been defrauded of approximately GH¢548,333,542.65 due to this fraudulent operation,” Dr. Ayine disclosed.

He explained that the scheme involved the deliberate creation of fake personnel—ghost names—within the NSA payroll system, which were then used to siphon public funds for personal gain.

The Attorney General confirmed that investigations are ongoing and assured the public that all individuals found to be complicit in the fraud will be prosecuted.

He emphasized the government’s commitment to rooting out corruption and strengthening oversight mechanisms across public institutions to prevent further abuse of state resources.