The High Court in Tamale has sentenced six individuals for their roles in a major payroll fraud scheme within the Ghana Education Service (GES), marking a significant win in the fight against corruption in the public sector.
The convicts, including school administrators and payroll officers, pleaded guilty under the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s (OSP) plea bargaining framework, which allowed them to avoid lengthy trials in exchange for full restitution and cooperation.
Ghost Names and Fraudulent Payments
According to a statement from the OSP on May 15, 2025, the individuals colluded to validate and reactivate the salary of a teacher who had vacated his post, resulting in wrongful payments exceeding GHC86,000.
Their actions, which spanned several months, exploited gaps in the payroll system, allowing them to siphon public funds intended for active staff. In total, the OSP has recovered GHC106,319.64 in relation to this case.
The individuals convicted include:
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Yakubu Tahidu – Former teacher, Balogu M/A Junior High School, Yendi
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Abdulai Abubakari Sadic – IPPD Coordinator, GES, Yendi
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Sammy Suuk – School Improvement Support Officer, Yendi North Circuit
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Mohammed Yusif Jay – Headmaster, Balogu M/A Junior High School, Yendi
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Stafford Korletey Azudey-Barres – Assistant Chief Accounts Technician, CAGD, Accra
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Osman Issahaku – Headmaster, Balogu M/A Junior High School, Yendi
OSP’s Ongoing Anti-Corruption Drive
The convictions come as part of a broader crackdown on payroll fraud led by the OSP, which has intensified its focus on eliminating ghost names and fraudulent salary payments within government institutions.
The investigations, launched in late 2023 in collaboration with the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD), have so far uncovered widespread corruption across multiple regions.
In a press conference on February 12, 2025, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng revealed that several other individuals remain under investigation, with six separate criminal trials currently ongoing in Accra, Tamale, and Kumasi.
The OSP has reaffirmed its commitment to rooting out corruption and safeguarding public resources, promising to bring more offenders to justice in the coming months.
“This is just the beginning,” the OSP said in its statement, adding that it will continue to pursue those who abuse the public trust and drain national coffers through fraudulent schemes.
