OSP & CAGD uncover GHC2.8M paid as salaries to ‘Ghost names’ on GES and TTH payrolls
An investigation conducted by the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Controller And Accountant General Department into the Government of Ghana payroll has uncovered a total amount of GHC2,854,144.80) paid as salaries to “Ghost names.
The investigation was carried out on the Ghana Education Service [Northern Region] and the Tamale Teaching Hospital payrolls.
The unearned monthly salaries were paid to persons who are deceased, retired, vacated their posts, flagged as missing staff, or whose whereabouts are unknown (colloquially referred to as “Ghost Names”) from their respective effective dates to January 2024, when it was blocked by the Special Prosecutor.
“The blockade of the amount of Two Million Eight Hundred and Fifty-Four Thousand One Hundred and Forty-Four cedis Eighty pesewas (GHC2,854,144.80) and the removal from Government Payroll of the corresponding deceased, retired, post vacators, the missing, and those whose whereabouts are unknown has saved the Republic an amount of Thirty-Four Million Two Hundred and Forty-Nine Thousand Seven Hundred and Thirty Seven cedis Six pesewas (GHC34,249,737.6) for the 2024 financial year, and future savings of that amount (in addition to future periodic upward pay adjustments) for every year that the unearned-salaries-amount would have remained undetected but for the joint investigation and assessment by the OSP” the report established.
The OSP and CAGD say they are engaged in enhanced investigation into the educational institutions under Ghana Education Service in the Northern Region and the Tamale Teaching Hospital aimed at the prosecution of persons who promoted the non-existent school; validated deceased, untraceable, and retired persons and persons who have vacated their posts.
“The OSP is taking steps to recover unearned salaries paid in respect of deceased, untraceable, and retired persons and persons who have vacated their posts. The OSP and CAGD are engaged in the process of directing internal control mechanisms in respect of payroll processing to substantially reduce the incidence of the processing and payment of unearned salaries,” the report noted.
The OSP and CAGD indicted that they will proceed by extending the investigation to the
remaining fifteen regions under Phase I of the exercise.