- High Court dismisses a new application to halt the Gifty Oware-Mensah trial.
- The defense is challenging rules requiring pre-trial witness disclosure.
- The case involves an alleged GH¢38 million loss to the state via ghost names.
The Accra High Court has dismissed another application by Gifty Oware-Mensah, the former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), seeking to suspend her criminal trial. In a ruling delivered on Thursday, April 16, 2026, Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay rejected the motion, marking a significant step toward a conclusion in the long-running “ghost names” scandal.
Oware-Mensah’s legal team, led by Gary Nimako-Marfo, had filed for a stay of proceedings pending an appeal at the Court of Appeal. The defense continues to challenge a court order requiring them to disclose the names and addresses of their witnesses before the prosecution concludes its case. This “messy” legal battle stems from the 2018 Practice Direction on Disclosure, which the defense argues violates the constitutional right to the presumption of innocence.
However, the presiding judge ruled that the application lacked merit and appeared to be a roadmap intended to delay justice rather than resolve a legitimate constitutional question. “The timing of this application strongly points to an attempt to delay the trial,” Justice Kocuvie-Tay noted, ordering the prosecution to continue building its case.
Gifty Oware-Mensah faces multiple charges, including willfully causing financial loss to the state, money laundering, and stealing. Prosecutors allege she orchestrated a scheme involving over 9,000 fictitious national service personnel and used a private entity, Blocks of Life Consult, to siphon state funds. With the High Court’s latest refusal to pause the trial, the case has been adjourned to May 11, 2026, for the continuation of evidence-in-chief.
The court’s insistence on proceeding underscores a growing intolerance for prolonged pre-trial motions that stall high-profile corruption cases in Ghana.
