Attorney General on FridayJune 13, said a sophisticated payroll fraud scheme involving high-ranking officials at the National Service Authority (NSA) siphoned more than GH¢548 million ($45 million) in public funds through the use of thousands of “ghost names.”

The disclosure, made by Attorney General and Minister for Justice Dominic Ayine during a government briefing on anti-corruption efforts, follows the discovery of over 8,000 fictitious workers on the NSA’s payroll. The scandal, which has rocked Ghana’s public sector, is under investigation by the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) as part of President John Dramani Mahama’s recently launched Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative.

According to Mr. Ayine, the fraudulent scheme was allegedly orchestrated during the administration of former President Nana Akufo-Addo and implicated a network of NSA directors, staff members, and private service providers.

“This was not administrative negligence—it was a criminal enterprise,” Mr. Ayine said. “In total, GH¢548,333,542.65 was lost due to the deliberate insertion of ghost names into the NSA’s payroll, which was then used to divert funds for private enrichment.”

The fraud operation reportedly relied on collusion between public officials and external contractors to manipulate payroll records and authorize payments to nonexistent service personnel.

The ORAL task force is currently pursuing asset recovery efforts, and prosecutors are expected to file charges in the coming weeks, according to individuals familiar with the matter.

The revelations have intensified scrutiny of public payroll oversight and raised broader questions about financial governance and internal controls in Ghana’s civil service.

President Mahama has vowed a full reckoning. “No one involved in this breach of public trust will escape accountability,” he said in a statement earlier this week.

Source:TheDotNews