The State has expanded the criminal case against former National Service Authority Executive Director Osei Assibey Antwi, increasing the number of charges against him from 14 to 21 following the filing of an amended charge sheet.

The charges include stealing, causing financial loss to the Republic, money laundering and improper payment of public funds under the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921).

When the amended charges were presented in court on March 9, 2026, Mr Assibey Antwi pleaded not guilty to all counts.

The amendment was announced by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, who led the prosecution team together with Dufie Prempeh and four other state attorneys.

“The Republic has filed an amended charge sheet and we wish to substitute the old one,” the DPP told the court.

Following the submission, the court directed that the accused’s plea be taken on the new charge sheet, after which Mr Assibey Antwi again denied all 21 charges.

Bail Conditions Maintained


Counsel for the accused, Ralph Opoku Adusei, supported by Enock Adu Ameyaw and two other lawyers, asked the court to allow his client to remain on the existing bail conditions granted earlier.

The prosecution did not oppose the request, and the court subsequently ruled that the accused should continue on the same bail conditions granted on December 11, 2025.

The court also directed the prosecution to file its disclosures and witness statements ahead of the trial. The case has been adjourned to April 13, 2026.

Revised Financial Loss


The amended charge sheet also revises the amount the state claims to have lost in the alleged scheme.

In the earlier charges filed in 2025, prosecutors alleged that Mr Assibey Antwi authorised payments of GH¢500,861,744.02 to more than 60,000 suspected ghost national service personnel.

However, the revised charge sheet now places the alleged loss at GH¢431,761,556.76.

The prosecution now argues that the payments were made to “non-service personnel and unverified individuals”, rather than ghost names as previously stated.

Investigations by the National Intelligence Bureau reportedly uncovered that 63,672 unverified registrants were entered into the payment system between 2018 and 2024, enabling them to receive service allowances or vendor-related payments.

According to prosecutors, between August 2021 and February 2025, the Authority paid out GH¢431,761,556.76 to individuals who either did not undertake national service or whose identities could not be properly verified.

Alleged Payments to E-Zwich Card


The amended charges also include claims that some allowances meant for national service personnel were redirected to an e-zwich card allegedly registered in the name of the accused.

Investigators say the card received GH¢8,256,000 in deposits between 2022 and 2024.

The prosecution further alleges that the card was not disclosed during the official handing-over process when Mr Assibey Antwi left office.

It is also claimed that he initially denied knowledge of the card during questioning, but it was later recovered during a search at his residence.

Vendor Payments and Project Losses


Prosecutors additionally claim that some payments were made to vendors under the NSA marketplace arrangement for services that were never delivered.

In certain instances, the vendors are alleged to have returned part of the funds directly to the accused in cash instead of refunding the money to the Authority.

The amended charge sheet also introduces new allegations connected to the Sekyere-Kumawu Economic Enclave (Farm) Project.

According to the prosecution, between August 2022 and June 2024, about GH¢106 million was transferred from the NSA Control Account into a project account to implement the initiative.

However, investigators claim the Authority did not receive value for money for some of the contracts awarded, resulting in an estimated GH¢61,289,843.30 loss to the state.