The Accra High Court has reduced the bail amount for Osei Assibey Antwi, former Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), from GH¢800 million to GH¢623 million in the ongoing National Service scandal trial.
The variation was granted after Osei Assibey’s legal team argued that the original GH¢800 million bail was excessively high and practically impossible to meet.
They contended that fulfilling the condition would require pledging numerous high-value properties in Accra or over a thousand houses in Kumasi.
The defence further stressed that the primary purpose of bail which isn to prevent flight risk had already been secured through the surrender of their client’s passport and his placement on a no-flight list.
The prosecution, led by Dufie Prempeh from the Attorney-General’s office, opposed the application, insisting that the initial bail conditions were reasonable and necessary to ensure Osei Assibey’s availability for trial.
Delivering the ruling, the court acknowledged the magnitude of the alleged financial loss but agreed that GH¢623 million was a more proportionate figure.
All other bail conditions, including the requirement for sureties and property pledges, remain unchanged.
This development follows the recent release on bail of Osei Assibey’s deputy, Gifty Oware-Mensah, who met a GH¢10 million bail condition, according to MyJoyOnline.
Osei Assibey Antwi faces charges including stealing, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the State, involving an alleged GH¢1.4 billion.
The Attorney General’s Office has alleged the state allegedly lost an estimated total amount of over GH¢2.2 billion in the NSS scandal.