Eight suspects in NSS scandal seek plea bargains – Attorney General
Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has revealed that eight individuals linked to the National Service Scheme (NSS) scandal have approached his office seeking plea deals and are willing to testify against others involved.
A plea bargain is a legal agreement where a defendant pleads guilty in exchange for certain benefits, such as reduced charges or a lighter sentence, thus avoiding a full trial.
During the Government Accountability Series, Dr. Ayine described this move as a significant step forward in the ongoing investigations.
“I am happy to announce that eight suspects in this investigation have approached my office for plea negotiation, including three former officers of the National Service Authority,” he said. “Some officials have offered to testify against their colleagues, and some vendors and service providers are willing to come clean and testify as prosecution witnesses.”
Dr. Ayine stressed that the information being offered is direct, not secondhand.
“They are not coming to say hearsay. These are people who were involved, and we are in negotiations with them and their lawyers.”
He noted that new evidence of financial misconduct had delayed the previously scheduled filing of charges.
“We stumbled upon evidence of malfeasance involving a Bank of Ghana account into which GH¢189 million had been deposited. Out of this amount, GH¢80 million cannot be traced. We found two cheques bearing the name and account details of the former Director-General, Mr. Osei Asibe, which were used to withdraw nearly GH¢2 million from the said account.”
He added that investigators are gathering further documentation from key institutions, including the Bank of Ghana, the Ministry of Finance, and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department.
“In fact, as I speak, the Bank of Ghana has signalled to me that they will deliver the entire bank statement for my attention this morning.”
Dr. Ayine made it clear that the return of embezzled funds is a requirement for any plea deal.
“As a precondition, I tell them: you bring back the money that we have calculated that you took. You serve as a prosecution witness. That is the approach we are using.”
He concluded by reinforcing the government’s dedication to accountability and hinted at cross-party support for recovering public funds.
“I am sure the NPP will be very happy for me to insist that 100 per cent be returned to the Attorney General before any deal can be cut.”