L-R: Afenyo-Markin, Gifty Oware-Mensah and Baffour Awuah
The return of Gifty Oware-Mensah, the former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Scheme, has generated widespread speculations regarding her future.
These speculations stem from her alleged involvement in a payroll fraud scandal during her tenure at the institution.
Several former executives have been summoned by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) for questioning in connection with the discovery of over 80,000 ghost names on the National Service Scheme’s payroll.
Oware-Mensah had earlier been reported to have fled the country in the wake of the scandal, with many speculations of the NIB laying in wait to ambush her at the airport upon her return.
Several figures from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), including Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, and Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, the lawyer for Gifty Oware-Mensah, who also serves as NPP Member of Parliament of Manhyia South, have spoken on the matter.
However, there have been notable inconsistencies in the statements made, which warrant further scrutiny.
What Afenyo-Markin said
On March 5, 2025, the Minority Leader and Member of Parliament of Effutu, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, was present at Kotoka International Airport to engage Gifty Oware-Mensah upon her arrival.
Following their meeting, the NPP lawmaker addressed the media, confirming Oware-Mensah’s arrival and assuring that she would cooperate with the security authorities and assist in the ongoing investigations.
He further refuted and rubbished claims that the former NSS executive had fled the country.
“I’m aware that Gifty arrived this afternoon, I’ve been in touch with her and she is in Ghana with her lawyers in touch with the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB). I’m sure that she is going to make herself available and whatever the state investigation authorities have, they would have to pursue within due process of law,” he said.
Afenyo-Markin also provided details on how officials from the NIB had contacted him, requesting Gifty Oware-Mensah’s presence.
He further said that the NIB had been in communication with her legal team, who had been engaged in discussions with the authorities.
“… she did not run away from the jurisdiction. She had traveled out freely and returned freely, however, the NIB officials reached out to me that they need her. They also reached out to her lawyers and they have been in discussions with them. She is in town and will make herself available and whatever they have to ask of her, she will be able to deal with it,” he added.
What Baffour Awuah said
The lawmaker representing Oware-Mensah, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, stated that his client has not yet received any official invitation or summons from any security agency.
He questioned the necessity of Oware-Mensah appearing before the NIB, given the absence of any formal communication, which directly contradicted Afenyo-Markin’s earlier comments.
“I am putting it on record that Gifty Oware, up until today, has not been invited by any security agency… If no investigative body invites a client, how do you advise the client to appear before that investigative body? Appear as what?” he said on JoyNews.
The legal practitioner further stated that he would present all available options to his client, Gifty Oware-Mensah, and provide her with legal counsel to allow her to make an informed decision.
He emphasised that his client cannot submit herself to the security agency in the absence of an official invitation.
“I’m going to engage my client and advise her. Legal advise is like a perfume you smell and not swallow and so, when I give it [advise] to her, she will make a judgement as to whether she will go or not. Ask any lawyer if they will let their client submit themselves to the security agencies without invitation in a case like this. Let’s be serious. I will speak to my client and let her appreciate her options and based on that she will make an informed decision,” he said.
Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has instructed authorities to trace and freeze the accounts of former officials implicated in the National Service Scheme (NSS) scandal who have fled the country.
MAG/AE
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