Johnson Akuamoah is the Auditor General
The Auditor-General’s Office, in collaboration with the Attorney General and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, is set to prosecute public officials who validated fraudulent payroll payments, following the recovery of GH¢10 million in unearned salaries.
The funds, remitted to the Consolidated Fund at the Bank of Ghana, were voluntarily refunded by individuals implicated in an ongoing special audit exposing systemic payroll mismanagement.
Auditor-General, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, speaking to the Daily Graphic, revealed that the GH¢10 million was recovered over the past two months as part of an audit spanning 2023 to April 2025.
According to the Auditor General, the audit uncovered that 53,311 separated government workers — those who resigned, were terminated, or deceased — remained on the payroll, costing the state GH¢150.36 million in unearned salaries.
MP urges ruthless action on unearned salaries
Of these, 2,446 individuals were inexplicably paid, highlighting what Asiedu called a “catastrophic breakdown” in payroll controls across Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs), and Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
“We are not stopping at the recovery. My office is collaborating with the CID to identify and go after the persons who validated these unearned salaries — payroll officers, controllers, human resource personnel, and heads of institutions who either negligently or complicitly allowed this to happen. Their actions constitute a serious crime against the state,” he added.
He added that dossiers on these officials are being prepared for thorough investigations and possible prosecutions.
Audit Service to recover GH¢150.4 million unearned salaries for 2023/2024
The audit’s findings comes on the back of Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson’s revelation during the 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review, on July 24, 2025, that 53,311 “ghost names” on the payroll cost over GH¢150 million.
President John Dramani Mahama, at a media encounter on September 10, 2025, disclosed that the Attorney General’s Office is working with the Judicial Service to establish special courts to expedite prosecutions related to Auditor-General reports, ensuring accountability and recovery of misappropriated funds.
Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu expressed satisfaction with the voluntary repayments, noting that notifying individuals of discrepancies prompted the GH¢10 million recovery, saving time and resources on legal battles.
However, he warned that the remaining GH¢140 million is still targeted for recovery, urging others who benefited to refund voluntarily to avoid legal consequences.
GA/AE
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