Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has disclosed that eight individuals implicated in the National Service Scheme (NSS) scandal have approached his office to negotiate plea deals and are prepared to testify against others involved.
A plea bargain, in law, is an agreement between a defendant and a prosecutor in which the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a charge in exchange for certain concessions—such as reduced charges or a lighter sentence—thereby avoiding the need for a full trial.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series platform on July 28, Dr. Ayine described the development as a breakthrough 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 revealed. “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.”
These individuals, through their lawyers, are ready to provide substantial evidence to help state prosecutors build their case during the litigation process concerning the alleged scandal that has stirred significant public interest.
“The accounts of these individuals are hardcore revelations—not mere fabrications or hearsay—based on our engagements with legal representatives from the other side,” Dr. Ayine stated. “They are not coming to say hearsay. These are people who were involved, and we are in negotiations with them and their lawyers.”
However, the schedule to file the necessary legal processes has been delayed due to newly uncovered evidence of financial malfeasance tied to the operations of the former National Service Scheme.
“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 Assibey, which were used to withdraw nearly GH¢2 million from the said account,” Dr. Ayine disclosed.
He stressed that the return of misappropriated funds is a non-negotiable condition for any plea agreement.
“As a precondition, I tell them: you bring back the money that we have calculated you took. You serve as a prosecution witness. That is the approach we are using.”
Dr. Ayine concluded by reaffirming the government’s commitment to accountability and hinted at bipartisan support for recovering every cedi misappropriated.
“I am sure the NPP will be very happy for me to insist that 100 percent be returned to the Attorney General before any deal can be cut.”
The scandal, first brought to light by the current Attorney General in May this year, shocked many across the country, particularly in light of the large sums involved and the longstanding issue of ghost names scattered across government payrolls.
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Story by Sika Togoh|univers.ug.edu.gh
