The Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie, has adjourned the criminal trial of former National Service Authority (NSA) Executive Director, Osei Assibey Antwi, to Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
The adjournment follows a request by the prosecution for more time to complete and file outstanding disclosures in the so-called “ghost names” scandal, in which the accused faces 21 charges, including causing financial loss to the state estimated at over GH¢431.8 million.
During proceedings on Monday, April 13, 2026, state prosecutor Dufie Prempeh told the court that the prosecution had already filed about 49 documents with supporting attachments earlier in the day, but additional materials were still being finalised. She therefore asked for a short adjournment of one to two weeks to complete the process.
However, defence counsel Ralph Poku-Adusei—who is also the Member of Parliament for Bekwai—objected to the request, arguing that the state had taken considerable time to prepare its case. He asked the court to grant the defence a full month to properly review the documents.
After hearing both sides, Justice Quarshie settled on a three-week adjournment and directed the prosecution to serve all documents promptly on the defence. The case was subsequently adjourned to May 13, 2026.
In a related ruling, the court also granted a request by the defence to vary the accused’s bail conditions. Mr. Poku-Adusei had asked that his client be allowed to report to the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI) office in Kumasi instead of Accra. The prosecution did not oppose the application, and the court approved the change.
Osei Assibey Antwi, who headed the NSA from September 2021 to January 2025, has pleaded not guilty to all 21 charges. According to the prosecution, the allegations stem from an alleged scheme involving payments made to non-existent service personnel and unverified individuals, following investigations that included an Auditor-General’s performance audit.
He remains on bail under existing conditions, including reporting to the BNI twice a month (on the first and third Wednesdays), surrendering his passport, and being placed on a watch list.
The case has undergone several procedural changes, including amendments to the charge sheet and a reduction in bail conditions—from an initial GH¢800 million to GH¢120 million with two sureties.