Court rejects Oware-Mensah's bid to halt trial
By DL News
Published
2 min read
The ruling means the criminal case against her will continue, despite a pending challenge to an earlier directive requiring her to disclose the names and addresses of intended witnesses before the prosecution closes its case.
A fresh attempt by former National Service Authority deputy executive director Gifty Oware-Mensah to suspend proceedings in the NSS ghost names case has failed, after the High Court in Accra threw out her application.
The ruling means the criminal case against her will continue, despite a pending challenge to an earlier directive requiring her to disclose the names and addresses of intended witnesses before the prosecution closes its case.
Her legal team, led by Garry Nimako, had asked the court to put the trial on hold while she pursued an appeal against that order. The defence argued that once a notice of appeal had been filed, the proceedings should be stayed.
State prosecutors pushed back, telling the court there was no compelling basis to interrupt the trial. They maintained that the application did not show exceptional circumstances or demonstrate a strong likelihood of success on appeal.
Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay agreed and, on Tuesday 24 March 2026, dismissed the request.
The court has adjourned proceedings to 15 April 2026 to allow service of a supplementary affidavit tied to a separate application for stay of proceedings in relation to an interlocutory appeal.
Oware-Mensah is facing prosecution over the National Service ghost names scandal, in which she is accused of causing financial loss to the state exceeding GH¢38 million.
The charges against her include one count of stealing, two counts of wilfully causing financial loss to the Republic, one count of using public office for profit, and one count of money laundering. She has denied all six charges.
She had earlier been granted bail in the sum of GH¢10 million and has since met the conditions for her release.
At the centre of the case is the allegation that public funds running into tens of millions of cedis were lost through the ghost names scheme. Oware-Mensah has rejected the accusations and continues to contest the case before the court.
For the prosecution, the latest ruling keeps the matter firmly on track. For the defence, the legal battle now shifts to the remaining appeal processes running alongside the main trial.
