The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has clarified that the former National Service person accused of allegedly stealing GH¢308,300 through unauthorised mobile money transactions was engaged by the Authority on a contract basis.
The clarification follows a court case involving Ebenezer Ghartey, a former National Service Person attached to the DVLA, who has been charged with stealing after allegedly transferring funds from a DVLA administrative officer’s MTN merchant account to his personal mobile money account.
Ghartey, who appeared before the Accra Circuit Court, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
According to the prosecution, led by Inspector Frank Morgan Dorvi, the accused allegedly transferred the money to his personal account and used part of it to purchase a Hyundai Elantra saloon car, a 50-inch Samsung television set and pay other personal expenses.
The court, presided over by Mrs Emmanuella Sarah Asmah, granted Ghartey bail in the sum of GH¢100,000 with three sureties. One of the sureties is required to justify the bail with landed property within the court’s jurisdiction valued at not less than the bail sum, while another surety must be a public servant earning not less than GH¢5,000 monthly.
The court also ordered Ghartey to report to the case investigator every Monday and Friday until further orders and adjourned the case to August 4, 2026.
However, reacting to reports on the case, the DVLA said the alleged amount involved did not belong to the Authority and was not taken from any of its accounts.
The DVLA explained that the case was a personal dispute involving individuals and was not related to its official operations or finances.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, July 7, the Authority said, “The Authority wishes to categorically state that the alleged GH¢308,000 involved in the matter does not belong to the DVLA and was not stolen from the Authority or any of its accounts.
“The matter under investigation is a personal dispute involving an individual who happens to be a former National Service Personnel assigned to the DVLA and currently on contract. At no point has the Authority suffered any financial loss in relation to this case.”
The Authority further stressed that the alleged offence was not connected to its operations.
“While the individual is attached to DVLA, the alleged offence is not connected to the operations, finances or official activities of the Authority but rather to two different individuals. It is therefore inaccurate and misleading to portray the incident in a manner that suggests the Authority was the victim of the alleged theft.”
The DVLA said it remained committed to accountability and would cooperate with investigators if required.
“The Authority remains committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability. We have confidence in the due process of the law and will cooperate fully with the police should the need arise.”
It also urged the media and the public to exercise caution in reporting the matter to avoid creating the impression that DVLA funds had been misappropriated.
“We respectfully urge media houses and the public to exercise restraint and accuracy in reporting on the matter to avoid creating the erroneous impression that public funds belonging to the DVLA have been misappropriated.”
The Authority assured the public that its financial systems remained secure and its operations continued without disruption.
