The 6 officials have been convicted over payroll fraud by the OSP
A High Court in Tamale has convicted six individuals for their roles in a payroll fraud scheme within the Ghana Education Service, involving ghost names and fraudulent salary payments.
According to a statement from the Office of the Special Prosecutor, the convictions resulted from guilty pleas entered under the OSP plea bargaining framework.
As part of the agreement, the convicts have made full restitution and reparation to the state.
The statement issued on May 15, 2025, via the official Facebook page of the OSP, disclosed that the individuals included school administrators, payroll officers, and accountants who colluded to validate and reactivate the salary of a teacher who had vacated his post.
Their actions led to the wrongful payment of more than GH¢86,000, all of which has now been recovered.
In total, GH¢106,319.64 has been retrieved by the OSP.
The OSP further confirmed that several other individuals remain under investigation as part of a wider probe into systemic payroll fraud in the public sector.
According to mynewsgh.com, those charged and now convicted are:
Yakubu Tahidu – Former teacher, Balogu M/A Junior High School, Yendi;
Abdulai Abubakari Sadic – IPPD Coordinator, GES, Yendi;
Sammy Suuk – School Improvement Support Officer, Yendi North Circuit;
Mohammed Yusif Jay – Headmaster, Balogu M/A Junior High School, Yendi;
Stafford Korletey Azudey-Barres – Assistant Chief Accounts Technician, CAGD, Accra; and
Osman Issahaku – Headmaster, Balogu M/A Junior High School, Yendi;
The OSP reaffirmed its commitment to protecting public resources and intensifying its efforts to prosecute corrupt practices within government institutions.
Below is the statement from the OSP
🚨Six Convicted in Payroll Corruption Scandal
Six individuals have been convicted by the High Court in Tamale for their roles in a payroll corruption scheme involving ghost names and fraudulent salary payments within the Ghana Education Service.
The convictions followed guilty… pic.twitter.com/ETnZdI1w93
— Office of the Special Prosecutor-Ghana (@ospghana) May 15, 2025
VKB/AE
