Payroll fraud scandal: Six officials to stand trial over fake salary payments

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has announced that six government officials will be prosecuted for their involvement in a payroll fraud scheme that siphoned funds through fake salary payments.

The suspects, who served in various capacities within the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD), have been charged with corruption of a public officer and corruption by a public officer.

At a press conference on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng stated that the criminal charges have been filed at the High Court in Tamale. The accused include:

1. Yakubu Tahidu – Former teacher, Balogu M/A Junior High School, Yendi
2. Abdulai Abubakari Sadic – Integrated Personnel Payroll Database Coordinator, GES, Yendi
3. Sammy Suuk – Schools Improvement Support Officer, Yendi North Circuit
4. Mohammed Yusif Jay – Headmaster, Balogu M/A Junior High School, Yendi
5. Stafford Korletey Azudey-Barres – Assistant Chief Accounts Technician, CAGD, Accra
6. Osman Issahaku – Headmaster, Balogu M/A Junior High School, Yendi

The investigation, which began in late 2023, was a joint effort between the OSP and the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD).

A corruption risk assessment and payroll audit were conducted, initially piloted in the Northern Region, targeting educational institutions and the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

The probe aimed to identify and remove ghost names, recover wrongful payments, and prosecute those responsible for manipulating government payroll.

The six suspects are accused of orchestrating the fraudulent inclusion of non-existent employees on the payroll, diverting public funds as salary payments to ghost workers.

The Special Prosecutor at the presser emphasized that the trial would set a precedent in the fight against payroll fraud in Ghana’s public sector. He also assured that more prosecutions would follow as investigations expand nationwide.

The accused will be arraigned before the High Court in Tamale in the coming days.