A new report has said that an amount of GHC 2.8 million identified as unearned salaries were paid to individuals who were deceased, retired, no longer in their positions, flagged as missing in the Northern Region.
The report was the outcome of a joint investigation conducted by The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and Controller and Accountant General Department (CAGD).
The investigations revealed that a primary school in the Kumbungu District of Ghana Education Service was non-existent but had staff who were being paid monthly.
A statement issued by the OSP on Monday (20 May) however said subsequent actions leading to the blocking of such salaries in the region has saved government GHC 34.2 million.
“It was discovered that a primary school in the Kumbungu District of Ghana Education Service did not exist at all. Yet, this non-existent contrived entity was represented as staffed and the purported staff were being validated monthly and being paid salaries, the OSP statement said.
“A staggering amount of GHC 2,854,144.80 was identified as unearned monthly salaries, attributed to individuals who were deceased, retired, no longer in their positions, flagged as missing, or whose whereabouts were unknown, commonly referred to as “Ghost Names.”
“By blocking these payments and removing the corresponding individuals from the Government Payroll, the Republic saved GHC 34,249,737.60 for the 2024 financial year,” the statment added.
Below is the full statement:
Source: Asaase Broadcasting