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The High Court in Accra has dismissed an application filed by former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), Gifty Oware-Mensah, seeking to halt her ongoing criminal trial and refer certain constitutional matters to the Supreme Court.
The court ruled that the application lacked merit and found no sufficient grounds to warrant a referral of constitutional issues. As a result, proceedings in the substantive case will continue without interruption. The presiding judge further directed the accused to comply fully with witness disclosure requirements in line with criminal procedure rules.
Gifty Oware-Mensah has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including stealing, causing financial loss to the state, and money laundering. The charges stem from the widely reported National Service “ghost names” scandal, in which the state is alleged to have suffered financial losses estimated at approximately ₵38 million.
According to the prosecution, the alleged scheme involved irregularities within the National Service system that resulted in payments being made for non-existent personnel. The state contends that these actions led to significant financial loss and that the accused played a role in the alleged misconduct.
The defence had argued that certain constitutional questions needed to be determined by the Supreme Court before the trial could proceed. However, the High Court rejected this position, effectively clearing the way for the prosecution to continue presenting its case.
Oware-Mensah is currently on bail set at ₵10 million as the case progresses through the judicial process. The matter has been adjourned to 18th February for further hearing.
The case remains one of the most high-profile prosecutions linked to the National Service ghost names controversy, with public interest closely following developments in court.
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