The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has charged six individuals in a major payroll fraud case, exposing deep-seated corruption within the education and public service sectors.
The accused—Yakubu Tahidu, Abdulai Abukari Sadic, Sammy Suuk, Mohammed Yusif Jay, Stafford Korletey Azudey-Barres, and Osman Issahaku—face 17 charges for their alleged roles in illegally siphoning government funds through fraudulent salary payments.
According to the OSP, the case stemmed from a National Security investigation, which revealed that Yakubu Tahidu, a former teacher at Balogu M/A JHS, continued to receive salaries despite leaving his post to work at the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC).
Authorities say this was not an isolated case but a coordinated scheme involving several education and finance officials who enabled or failed to prevent the fraudulent payments.
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- Abdulai Abukari Sadic (Yendi Municipal IPPD Coordinator) and Sammy Suuk (Schools Improvement Support Officer) allegedly approved and facilitated the illegal salary validations.
- Mohammed Yusif Jay, the former headteacher of Balogu M/A JHS, is accused of validating the payments despite being reassigned to another school.
- Stafford Korletey Azudey-Barres, an Assistant Chief Accounts Technician at the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department, allegedly played a role in processing the unauthorized payments.
- Osman Issahaku, the current headteacher, reportedly continued the validation of the fraudulent salaries.
The case highlights growing concerns over payroll fraud in Ghana’s public sector, with authorities promising tougher measures to prevent financial losses to the state.
The accused will face trial at the High Court in Tamale, where they will answer for their alleged involvement in the scandal.
