The Accra High Court has rejected an oral application by lawyers for the former Deputy National Service Director, Gifty Oware-Mensah, seeking to stay proceedings in the ongoing ₵38million NSS scandal trial.
On Monday, May 11, at the High Court’s Criminal Division 4, the application was made before the first prosecution witness could take the stand.
Gifty Oware-Mensah, lawyer, Gary Nimako Marfo asked that proceedings be suspended, arguing that the accused has filed an application at the Supreme Court of Ghana challenging the constitutionality of part of a 2018 practice direction issued by the Chief Justice.
He disclosed that the stay of proceedings had been filed at the Supreme Court on Friday, May 8, 2026, with the bailiff informing him that the application had been served on both the Attorney-General and the registrar of the High Court.
However, the presiding judge, Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, argued that there was no record before it showing that the application had been served.
Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay directed the court clerk to make inquiries; the clerk later returned, informing the court that no such process had been served.
The Judge held that the trial would continue unless the Supreme Court specifically directed the High Court to stay its hands.
Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay subsequently fixed dates and times for the continuation of the trial, with proceedings adjourned to Monday, May 18, 2026.
Background
Mrs Oware-Mensah, accused of causing a financial loss of over GH¢38 million to the state, has denied all charges.
In court, Gifty Oware-Mensah pleaded not guilty to five charges levelled against her by the Attorney General.
The former NSA Deputy Executive Director pleaded not guilty to five charges, including stealing and money laundering, in the ₵38 million ghost names scandal.
The Attorney-General’s Department alleged Gifty Oware-Mensah misappropriated a total of GH¢38,458,248.87 between February 2022 and March 2024, overseeing finance, audit, and procurement at the NSA.
According to prosecutors, she dishonestly transferred GH¢31.5 million from a loan facility meant to support National Service Personnel into her private company accounts.
The said money was under the pretext of supplying goods on a hire-purchase basis; however, investigation revealed no such goods were supplied, and the names used to secure the loan were ghost names from the NSA’s internal system.
AG also alleged, “Out of the money received, the accused transferred GH¢22,925,518,69 to Amaecom Global Company of which she was a director, and the remaining amount to three other companies.”
Gifty Oware-Mensah’s charges include “Stealing GH¢31,502,091.40 belonging to the National Service Authority. Willfully causing financial loss to the state through the fake hire-purchase arrangement, Abuse of public office for personal gain and Money laundering through the transfer of funds into personal and affiliated accounts”.
See the post below:
Update from todays’s proceedings in Republic v Gifty Oware (Aboagye) Mensah #ORALUpdates pic.twitter.com/QUGwoDBynt
— ORAL (@ORAL_GOV) May 11, 2026