The High Court in Tamale has sentenced six individuals for their involvement in a payroll fraud scheme within the Ghana Education Service (GES), where ghost names were used to siphon off government funds.
The convictions come after the culprits, comprising school heads, payroll staff, and accountants, pleaded guilty under the plea-bargaining arrangement offered by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
As part of the agreement, the State has been given full repayment and restitution.
A report released by the OSP on May 15 revealed that the group manipulated payroll systems to validate and reactivate salaries for a teacher who had long abandoned his post.
This resulted in the wrongful disbursement of over GH¢86,000.
However, the full amount, along with additional funds, have been recovered totalling GH¢106,319.64.
The OSP noted that investigations are still underway, with additional suspects being pursued.
It added that six more criminal trials related to similar offences are currently ongoing in Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale as part of a nationwide crackdown on payroll-related corruption.
