Six individuals have been convicted by the High Court in Tamale for their involvement in a payroll corruption scandal within the Ghana Education Service (GES). The case involved ghost names and illegal salary payments.
The convicted persons include former teachers, payroll officers, headmasters, and an accountant. They played different roles in fraudulently validating and reactivating the salary of a teacher who had vacated his post. Their actions led to wrongful payments totaling over GHS 86,000.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) recovered the full amount. In total, the State has retrieved GHS 106,319.64 so far. The six individuals pleaded guilty under the OSP’s plea bargain process and made full restitution.
The OSP issued a statement on May 15, 2025, confirming the convictions. It added that investigations are ongoing and more suspects are likely to face charges. Currently, six additional trials are taking place in Accra, Tamale, and Kumasi as part of efforts to fight payroll fraud and safeguard public funds.
The suspects, who were charged earlier this year, served in various positions in the GES and the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD). They faced charges of corruption of a public officer and corruption by a public officer.
The convicted individuals include Yakubu Tahidu, a former teacher at Balogu M/A Junior High School in Yendi; Abdulai Abubakari Sadic, Payroll Database Coordinator of GES in Yendi; Sammy Suuk, Schools Improvement Support Officer for the Yendi North Circuit; and Mohammed Yusif Jay, Headmaster of Balogu M/A JHS. Others are Stafford Korletey Azudey-Barres, Assistant Chief Accounts Technician at CAGD in Accra, and Osman Issahaku, also a headmaster at Balogu M/A JHS.
The investigation, which started in late 2023, was a joint effort between the OSP and the CAGD. The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, assured the public that more prosecutions will follow to clean up the public payroll system.