A National Service person attached to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has been arraigned before the Accra Circuit Court for allegedly siphoning GH¢308,300 from a senior officer’s mobile money merchant account through unauthorised transactions.
Ebenezer Ghartey, the accused, has pleaded not guilty to a single count of stealing.
According to the prosecution, led by Inspector Frank Morgan Dorvi, the complainant, an Administrative Officer at DVLA, discovered an unauthorised withdrawal of GH¢3,000 from her MTN merchant account on May 22, 2026, while checking her balance.
Further investigation revealed that between March 31 and May 20, 2026, a staggering GH¢308,300 had been systematically transferred from the officer’s merchant account to Ghartey’s personal Mobile Money account. MTN transaction records reportedly confirmed Ghartey as the recipient.
The matter was subsequently reported to the Cantonments Police, leading to Ghartey’s arrest.
During police interrogation, Ghartey reportedly explained that he was “not on salary” and used the stolen funds to cover various personal expenses.
He purchased a Hyundai Elantra saloon car, a Samsung 50-inch television set, furniture, an air conditioner, a floor carpet, dining table and chairs, a washing machine, a television rack and frame.
The accused also allegedly used part of the money to pay his sibling’s school fees.
Presiding over the case, Her Honour Mrs. Emmanuella Sarah Asmah granted Ghartey bail in the sum of GH¢100,000 with three sureties, all of whom must reside within the court’s jurisdiction.
His bail conditions require one surety to justify with landed property within jurisdiction valued at no less than the bail sum and another surety to be a public servant earning a minimum of GH¢5,000 monthly.
The court further ordered Ghartey to report to the case investigator every Monday and Friday until further notice. The case has been adjourned to August 4, 2026, for continuation.
Some media reports connected the theft to the DVLA, however, authorities have clarified that the matter has nothing to do with the
Meanwhile, the DVLA has been forced into a defensive corner after a media report linked the alleged theft of GHC308,000 to the institution.
The Authority is pushing back hard, insisting the money was never theirs to begin with.
In a statement released Wednesday, the DVLA acknowledged that a former National Service person currently on contract with the Authority is indeed at the centre of a police investigation.
However, it flatly rejected the narrative that public funds were involved, describing the case as a “personal dispute” between two individuals who happen to have no official financial connection to the state agency.
Read DVLA full statement below: