SSNIT OBS case: Former MIS Head secures enters plea bargain

Caleb Kwaku Afaglo, the former Head of Management Information Systems (MIS) at SSNIT, has entered into plea bargain negotiations with the Prosecution after years of legal proceedings. Afaglo, who was on trial alongside former SSNIT boss Ernest Thompson in the now-dismissed SSNIT Operational Business Suite (OBS) project case, is accused of securing his employment at SSNIT using falsified academic credentials.

Afaglo faces seven counts—including defrauding by false pretenses, using forged documents, and falsifying records—and his legal troubles date back to 2017, when SSNIT dismissed him after discovering his employment was based on fake degrees. His dismissal followed an interdiction that led to further investigations into his qualifications.

During a court session on Thursday, Afaglo’s lead counsel, Paa Kwesi Abaidoo, informed the trial judge that his team had initiated discussions with the Attorney General for a plea bargain. He requested a 30-day extension, citing Section 16(5) of the Plea Bargain Act, to finalize negotiations with state attorneys.

Confirming the request, Senior State Attorney Nana Ama Adinkrah acknowledged receiving a formal letter from Afaglo expressing his intention to pursue a plea deal. She emphasized the importance of officially informing the court, which had now been done, and requested an adjournment of no more than 30 days to conclude the agreement.

Presiding over the case, Justice Henry Kwofie, a Supreme Court judge with additional responsibility at the High Court, granted the request after reviewing arguments from both legal teams. The case, which initially included four other defendants—former SSNIT Director-General Dr. Ernest Thompson, John Hagan Mensa, Peter Hayibor, and Juliet Hassana Kramer—has now dwindled to Afaglo as the sole remaining accused.

The court has scheduled the next hearing for May 8, by which time both parties are expected to have finalized and signed the plea bargain agreement.