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Investigations are underway to unravel how illiterates managed to get National Service identification cards to serve as service persons. Some service persons have also been found to be either secondary school leavers or never entered any tertiary institution. Mostly, young people are eligible for national service after successfully completing tertiary education. However, during investigations, the investigators found out that some of the unqualified service personnel could not write their names. Some officials of the National Service Scheme (NSS) are alleged to have connived with illegal recruitment agencies to recruit the unqualified persons for a fee. These unqualified persons were given identification cards and posted to parts of the country to do their service. Five of them were picked up by operatives of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) in the Western Region while going through the registration procedure. The Daily Graphic has gathered that some of the suspects either used fake documents or impersonated in order to be admitted as service persons. According to sources, the five were sent to Accra for prosecution but the circuit court declined jurisdiction. �For that matter, we have sent them back to the Western Region to face the law,� the sources explained. �People are using all sorts of means to erode the public purse but we are bent on bringing their activities to an end. These illegal acts cannot continue if we want to progress as a nation,� they said. They said investigations were ongoing to weed out such persons from the NSS payroll. Modus operandi The Daily Graphic also learnt that fake labour recruitment agencies connive with some officials of the NSS to register non-tertiary students. From the Western Region, Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu reports that the arrested persons would be put before court on Monday, October 13, 2014. More arrests Meanwhile, six regional directors of the NSS have been picked up in connection with ongoing investigations into the GH�7.9 million scandal at the scheme. They are Nana Fosu Amankwa Agyapong, Eastern Region; Alhaji Shaibu Abiru, Northern; George Naanwinyelle Dasah, Upper East; Gabriel Nyorkeh, Volta; Michael Tottime, Western, and Seth Asiedu, Greater Accra. Also apprehended is the Kwahu North (Afram Plains) District Director of the scheme, Samuel Brempong. 27 Granted bail Twentyseven district directors who were picked up on Wednesday, October 1, 2014 have been granted bail, with two sureties each to be justified. They are also to report twice a week to the BNI. They are Emmanuel Asiedu Boafo, Kwahu West; Frank Akoto Acquah, Atwima Kwanwoma; Abdul Aziz Armah, Agona Swedru; Batholomew Hanny, Wassa Amenfi East; Regina Kyanoo, Lambussie Kani, and Anastasia Zanoo, Ga South. Others are Noah Kofi Boadi, Asante Akim South; Ali Issah, Bole; Gideon Kumase, Ga West; Joseph Kumah, Nanumba North; Alhassan Yahaya, Gushegu; Iddrisu Mohammed Gunu, Tolon; Siibu Mahama, West and North Gonja; Mohammed Abu Hanifah, Nanumba South, and Iddrisu Adam, Karaga. Yet others are Hayford Bredzei, Ho; Alfred Mensah, Jomoro; John Sam, Asante Akim Central; Emmanuel Boafo Asiedu, Kumasi Metro, and Jones Tannor, Tano South. The rest are Sulemana Alhassan, Asunafo South; Andrew Wak, Bawku West; Fidelis Bani, Hohoe; Seth Naorta Bekyire, Gomoa East; Godfred Hooney, Wassa Amenfi East; Benjamin Amponsah, Bia East and West; Mark Mwirii Jebuni, Saboba; Shaibu Malik, Mamprusi West, and Shaibu Mbema, Gonja East. They were alleged to have conspired with other directors and some banks to siphon state funds for payment to 22,612 non-existent service personnel. The bureau is also scrutinising the payment of allowances to service personnel until further notice. Ghana is expected to save more than GH�94 million annually following the move by the BNI to stop further looting of state resources through the payment of allowances to non-existent service persons. Explaining the rationale behind the security service�s decision, a source told the Daily Graphic, �we are designing special payment vouchers for the purpose of paying allowances for August and September 2014.� Bribery Twenty-three directors of the NSS were alleged to have paid GH�200,000 as bribe to BNI investigators to conceal the financial canker at the scheme. The Executive Director of the NSS, Alhaji Alhassan Imoro, and five of his directors were last Friday ordered to step aside for investigations to continue, but two of his deputies have since been recalled. A statement signed by the Board Chairman of the NSS, Mrs Gifty Mahama Bayira, and issued in Accra said a preliminary report from the BNI indicated that Mr Michael Kombor, who is in charge of Finance and Administration, and Madam Sophia Karen Akuako, the Deputy Director in charge of Operations, had not been cited for any wrongdoing.