The High Court in Accra has granted former Director-General of the National Service Authority (NSA), Osei Assibey Antwi’s, request for bail variation from GH¢800 million to GH¢623 million in the NSS ghost names scandal case.
This followed a submission by his lawyers, led by Alex Osei Owusu, that his client had satisfied the essential elements of the bail, which involved submitting his passports to the registry but the some was a challenge.
Prosecution, led by Dufie Prempeh, a Principal State Attorney, opposed the request for bail variation despite not opposing to bail.
The former NSA Director was granted bail by Justice Kizita Naa Koowaa Quashie on October 30 in the sum of GH¢800 million with six sureties to be justified.
Unable to meet the conditions, he applied to the High Court for a bail variation, which was considered by Justice Marie-Louise Simmons, the judge relieving the substantive judge.
In her ruling, Justice Mrs. Simmons said she had considered the submissions made and, relying on the processes filed, varied the bail sum from GH¢800 million to GH¢623 million, the same amount the prosecution claims he misappropriated.
Apart from the varied bail sum, the court said all other previously set conditions still hold.
Antwi pleaded not guilty to 14 charges on October 30, comprising seven counts of causing financial loss, six counts of stealing, and one count of money laundering, under sections 179A(1) and 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), and section 1(2)(c) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044).
In addition to the bail sum, he is to produce six sureties, and the security for the bail sum must be justified with landed property equivalent to the bail sum.
The court, presided over by Justice Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie, had also ordered that he be placed on the Ghana Immigration Service stop list.
The sureties are to deposit copies of their identification cards with the registry of the court.
The accused person is also required to report to the NIB headquarters on the first and third Wednesday of every month.
Furthermore, the court ordered Antwi to submit all relevant passports and deposit them with the registry of the court.
The prosecution has been ordered to file their evidence, and the case has been adjourned to December 1, 2025.
Mr. Assibey Antwi is accused of misappropriating public funds during his tenure between August 2021 and February 2025. According to the Attorney-General, between August 2021 and February 2025, Antwi allegedly authorized payments of GH¢500.86 million in allowances to over 60,000 non-existent (ghost) national service personnel.
Source :www.kumasimail.com
