The Deputy Attorney General, Dr. Justice Srem Sai, has disclosed that most individuals implicated in the National Service Secretariat (NSS) fraud case are willing to refund the allegedly stolen funds.
According to Dr. Srem Sai, the state is open to recovering the money and may consider using some of the suspects as witnesses in the ongoing investigation.
“We are talking about over GH¢560 million. That’s the amount being looked at in connection with 22 individuals whom investigators believe were responsible for the alleged loot,” he stated.
He further revealed that investigations into the ghost names aspect of the scandal have been completed, and prosecutors are currently building a docket to bring formal charges.
Dr. Srem Sai explained that the alleged fraud occurred through multiple channels, including inflated project costs, misuse of farm resources, and most significantly, the payment of allowances to ghost National Service personnel.
“National Service operates in different areas,” he said. “There are projects managed by the Secretariat, including farms where they acquire land, cultivate crops, and sell the produce. Then there is the issue of paying ghost National Service persons.”
The current phase of the investigation is focused primarily on the ghost names, which account for the GH¢560 million in question.
He noted that the state is carefully weighing its legal and strategic options as it prepares to take the next steps in the prosecution process.
