The former Director-General of the National Service Authority (NSA), Mr Osei-Assibey Antwi, has pleaded not guilty to fourteen counts of alleged financial misconduct levelled against him by the State.
The charges include causing financial loss to the Republic, stealing, and money laundering, allegedly involving more than GH¢1.5 billion.
During Thursday’s hearing, October 30, Her Ladyship Justice Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie admitted Mr Osei-Assibey to bail in the sum of GH¢800 million, with six sureties. Each surety is required to provide immovable property commensurate with the bail amount.
As part of the bail conditions, the court ordered the accused to surrender all travel documents to the court registry and directed the Ghana Immigration Service to place his details on a stop list. He is also required to report to the Police Headquarters on the first and third Wednesdays of every month until the case is concluded.
According to the prosecution, Mr Osei-Assibey, as the principal spending officer and authorised signatory to the NSA’s accounts, approved payments to ghost or non-existent personnel, resulting in significant financial loss to the State. The individual counts involve alleged unlawful transactions ranging from GH¢516,000 to GH¢55 million.
Counsel for the accused, Mr Osei Owusu, argued that his client has been unfairly vilified in the public domain and maintains his innocence. He told the court that Mr Osei-Assibey has “cooperated fully with investigators, poses no flight risk, and has a long-standing record of service to the Republic.”
Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, did not oppose the bail application but urged the court to “consider the seriousness of the allegations and the magnitude of the sums involved.” He added that “certain recent actions of the accused raise concerns about his continued availability for trial.”
The court has directed the prosecution to file all necessary disclosures. The case has been adjourned to December 2, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. for further proceedings.
