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Former NSS Boss granted bail Accra Nov. 17, GNA- A Fast Track High Court (Tax and Financial) Division on Monday granted bail to the former Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Alhaji Alhassan Mohammed Imoro, accused of stealing state funds. Imoro who is accused of stealing GH 86.9 million cedis was granted bail in the sum of 90 million cedis with three sureties all to be justified with property worth one million cedis. The court presided over by Mrs Justice Georgina Mensah- Datsa ordered Imoro to surrender his passport to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) until further notice. Imoro is also to report himself to the BNI four times in a week or any other days upon the request by the BNI. Meanwhile Imoro has pleaded not guilty to the charge of stealing GH 86.9 million cedis belonging to the government of Ghana through the payment of ghost or nonexistent service personnel. He is to reappear on December 8. At today�s sitting, the state led by Ms Cynthia Lamptey, the Director for Public Prosecution (DPP) told the court that even though investigations were not complete, it will leave the granting of bail at the discretion of the court. According to Ms Lamptey, the offence was a bailable one and would leave the granting of the bail in the hands of the court. Ms Lamptey said Imoro would be needed on daily basis at the BNI since he would have to respond to issues raised by regional directors of the NSS in the investigations. Mr Denis Adjei Dwomoh, defence counsel who held the brief for Mr Yonni Kulendi, noted that from the statement made by the state, it meant the state was not opposing to the bail. �In balancing the accused person�s human rights, we would like the court to grant accused person bail pursuant to Section 96 of the Criminal Procedure Code.� According to counsel, Imoro had worked with the state for more than 25 years, he had a fixed place of abode at Osu in Accra and would not abscond from the jurisdiction. Mr Dwomoh prayed the court not to use the bail as a punitive measure when the issue of bail was raised and urged the court to exercise its discretion in the favour of the accused. Relations of Imoro could not hide their joy as soon as the court admitted Imoro to bail as they exchanged pleasantries with him (Imoro) who had smiles over his face. On November 3, this year, Imoro was discharged at the Circuit Court and he was quickly re-arrested and arraigned before the Fast Track High Court. The Circuit Court was expected to deliver its ruling in respect of Imoro�s bail application but that did not materialised. Prosecution case was that the accused was responsible for the posting and placement, raising vouchers and payment of National Service persons in the country. According to prosecution at the beginning of the year, he posted some service personnel and caused the transfers of vouchers across the country. In July this year the BNI received some complains of malfeasance and began a nationwide investigations into the operations of the NSS with regards to the payment of monthly allowances to service persons. According to prosecution, investigations so far revealed that for every month starting from September 2013 to July this year, an amount of GH 7.9 million cedis was paid to 22,612 nonexistent or �ghost � service persons. Prosecution said the ghost names were generated at the NSS headquarters under the supervision of the former NSS boss. According to prosecution, Imoro instructed that the names should be added to the Payment Vouchers (PVs). The prosecutor said the PVs were distributed to the Regional Directors of the Scheme and on receipt, they also distributed to the District Directors under their jurisdiction. Prosecution said Imoro signed cheques for payments which were deposited in the banks of the districts where service persons withdrew their allowances. Imoro also issued instructions to the District Directors through their Regional Directors that after the allowances of the genuine service persons had been paid the money for the ghost names should be withdrawn and sent to him through the Regional Directors. Prosecution said in all GH 86.9 million cedis was received by Imoro from the 10 Regional Directors.