Less than three months after taking office, President John Dramani Mahama’s government seems to be making strides in its commitment to combat corruption.
In the initial phase of his presidency, the president launched Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL), aimed at focusing on officials from the previous administration who are thought to have unjustly acquired wealth or state assets.
As part of this effort, the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) has taken several people into custody who are suspected of being involved in corruption issues from the prior government.
Below is a list of some individuals who held positions under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and have been arrested, held, and later released by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) while investigations continue.
1.Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi – Former Minister of Education
Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, who was the Previous Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), was detained by the NIB on Sunday, February 23, 2025, over his alleged role in the unsuccessful $3 billion Accra Sky Train venture.
His arrest occurred in Kawukudi, close to Nima, in the Greater Accra Region.
2. Gifty Oware-Mensah – Former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA)
The NIB also took Gifty Oware-Mensah, the former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority, into custody.
It has been reported that she was apprehended on Friday, March 7, 2025, detained briefly, and then let go.
Her detention is connected to an ongoing NIB inquiry into payroll fraud that took place during her time at the NSA.
Gifty Oware-Mensah returned to Ghana on Tuesday, March 5, 2025, after a holiday abroad following the 2024 elections. After she came back, her lawyer, Nana Agyei-Baffour, informed JoyNews that she had not received any prior summons from the NIB concerning this issue.
3. Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng – Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral
Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, who serves as the Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral, was arrested by the NIB regarding an alleged double identity on March 14, 2025.
The troubled pastor is currently cooperating with the inquiry.
4. Kwaku Ohene Gyan (Osonoba) – Former Deputy Director in Charge of Operations at the NSA
Kwaku Ohene Gyan, also known as Osonoba, who was the Former Deputy Director in Charge of Operations at the National Service Authority (NSA), was taken into custody by the NIB on February 22, 2025.
According to a report, two pickup trucks followed him from the city before they arrested him and took him to the NIB headquarters.
The exact reasons for his arrest are not clear, but it is thought to be connected to the ongoing investigation into payroll fraud at the NSA, which revealed claims of fake names unlawfully added to the payroll.
Ohene Gyan was questioned by NIB officials on February 23, 2025, but was subsequently released.
President Mahama’s Order on NSA Payroll Fraud
Earlier, President John Dramani Mahama told the NIB to look into how the NSA is functioning after finding a shocking 81,885 potential fake names on its payment list.
A statement from the presidency on February 12, 2025, explained that these issues were found after a countrywide count of current National Service workers, led by finance minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
After these discoveries, the Finance Ministry provided GH¢226,019,224 to pay the back allowances for 98,145 real National Service workers.
