The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has charged six public servants in the Northern Region for allegedly manipulating the government payroll to siphon funds through fake salary payments. The accused will face trial for corruption-related offenses.
According to a statement by the OSP, the six public servants, 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.
Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng announced the charges at a press conference on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, stating 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 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 the 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.
Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng emphasized that the trial would set a precedent in the fight against payroll fraud in Ghana’s public sector. He 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.
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