Attorney General Dr. Dominic Ayine has blown the lid off what he describes as a “nationwide criminal enterprise” within Ghana’s National Service Scheme (NSS), implicating top officials in a long-running payroll fraud scheme.
In a media briefing on Friday on progress made by the ORAL team, Ayine said investigations have exposed a staggering 81,885 ghost names on the NSS payroll—fake identities used to divert public funds meant for service personnel into the pockets of administrators and their cronies.
“This wasn’t a one-off. It was institutionalised fraud,” Dr. Ayine stated, revealing that the scheme may have bled over GH¢50 million monthly from state coffers at its peak.
Senior district directors, payroll officers, and even the NSS CEO are accused of creating fake index numbers and ID cards to legitimise the scam.
Funds were allegedly rerouted, with some even used to bribe a Member of Parliament in 2024 to kill media interest in the scandal.
The Attorney General added that ahead of each service year, NSS directors would submit lump-sum ghost entries—keeping the fraudulent system alive and well.
The case is now under full prosecution, with the nation watching closely.
