Gifty Oware-Mensah, a former Deputy Director of the National Service Authority (NSA) and a current Executive Council member of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), has been detained by the National Investigation Bureau (NIB) in connection with an alleged payroll fraud at the NSA.

Her arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into a ghost-name scandal that has drawn national attention.

Reports indicate that Oware-Mensah was taken into custody on Friday, 7th March 2025, and remains detained despite multiple attempts to secure her bail.

It is alleged that former NPP General Secretary, John Boadu tried to intervene to facilitate her release, but she was later transferred from the NIB premises to an undisclosed location.

The scandal first came to light following an exposé by The Fourth Estate, which uncovered fraudulent activities within the NSA’s payroll system.

Addressing the issue in his first State of the Nation Address, President John Dramani Mahama directed law enforcement agencies to take decisive action against those implicated. In response, authorities have intensified their investigations, leading to a series of arrests.

It has been suggested that some suspects linked to the scheme have already fled the country. In light of this, President Mahama has ordered the freezing of their assets to prevent them from benefiting from any ill-gotten wealth.

Prior to her arrest, the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin had assured that Gifty Oware-Mensah was willing to cooperate with the NIB investigations.

Her legal representatives were reportedly making arrangements for her engagement with the authorities before she was taken into custody.

Gifty Oware-Mensah had only recently returned to Ghana on 5th March 2025, after a period abroad following the 2024 elections.