The Criminal Division of the Accra High Court has reduced the bail amount for the former Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Osei Assibey Antwi, from GH¢800 million to GH¢623 million, while maintaining all other conditions previously imposed.
The court’s decision followed arguments from both the prosecution and the defense regarding the appropriateness of the initial bail sum.
Mr. Antwi, a former Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister and one-time Mayor of Kumasi, is currently on trial facing 14 criminal charges, including causing financial loss to the state, stealing, and money laundering.
Prosecutors allege that between 2021 and 2025, he authorized fraudulent payments to over 60,000 ghost national service personnel, resulting in a financial loss exceeding GH¢500 million to the state. He is also accused of diverting GH¢100 million allocated for the Kumawu Farm Project and personally receiving GH¢8.2 million through an e-zwich account linked to his biometric details.
In seeking a review of the bail conditions, defense counsel described the initial GH¢800 million sum as “unrealistic and unprecedented,” arguing that it effectively denied the accused his right to bail. He emphasized that using an exchange rate of GH¢10 to US$1, the amount translated to approximately US$80 million—equivalent to about 80 luxury homes in Accra’s East Legon or over 1,000 houses in Kumasi, each valued at GH¢500,000.
Counsel further noted that the accused had already deposited his passports with the court and had been placed on the Ghana Immigration Service stop list, eliminating any potential flight risk. He maintained that bail should serve as a guarantee for appearance in court, not a form of punishment before trial.
However, Principal State Attorney Dufie Prempeh opposed the application for a variation, stating that while the prosecution did not contest the grant of bail itself, it objected to any changes to the conditions. She argued that the original terms were reasonable given the magnitude of the alleged offences and the financial losses involved.
“The accused is a former Deputy Regional Minister and former KMA Mayor. He has the means and the social standing to secure sureties to meet the bail conditions,” she told the court.
In delivering the ruling, the presiding judge held that while bail must reflect the seriousness of the charges, it should also be within realistic limits. The court therefore found merit in slightly reducing the amount to GH¢623 million, while leaving all other terms unchanged.
Under the revised conditions, six sureties must justify the total bail amount with landed properties of equivalent value and submit copies of their identification documents to the court.
Mr. Antwi is to continue reporting to the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) on the first and third Wednesday of every month, remain on the no-fly list, and keep all passports lodged with the court registry.
The former NSS boss, who vacated his position in January 2025, has denied all charges and maintains his confidence in clearing his name during the ongoing trial.
