An Accra High Court has rejected an edict application filed by the National Service Authority (NSA) to prevent The Fourth Estate, a subsidiary of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), from releasing its documentary on the NSS scandal.
The investigative means of expression had planned to publish its exposé on alleged corrupt practices within the National Service Scheme on December 2, just five days before the 2024 general elections. However, the NSA obtained a 10-day injunction, halting the release less than 12 hours before the scheduled publication.
After the initial injunction expired on December 12, the NSA filed a second lawsuit, claiming that the exposé would cause irreparable harm to its reputation and management if published and later proven false.
During a hearing on December 19, Sam Okudzeto and Associates, representing the NSA, withdrew their case against the publication. The court dismissed the injunction application, allowing The Fourth Estate to proceed with its release.
The court also awarded GHC 6,000 in legal costs to the MFWA and prohibited the NSA from filing further suits to block the exposé.
In response to the court's decision, The Fourth Estate confirmed plans to release the exposé shortly.
Divulge documents suggest the scandal involves allegations of over 40,000 ghost names on the National Service Scheme’s payroll, resulting in an annual loss of more than GHC 343 million for three consecutive years.
In a statement issued on December 16, the NSA denied the payroll fraud allegations, stating:
"The Authority firmly believes that no system, whether manual or electronic, is entirely immune to flaws. However, the evidence of efforts to eliminate fraudulent entries into the National Service portal has been overwhelming, effectively addressing the issue of 'Ghost Names' since 2021."
The NSA described the allegations as a threat to its efforts to eliminate such malpractices and expressed its willingness to investigate the claims.
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