The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has interdicted an employee of the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) accused of removing a teacher’s name from the government payroll after she refused to pay a bribe.

The issue came to light during a recent session of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Accra.

The Chairperson of PAC, Abena Osei-Asare, expressed frustration over recurring cases where workers, particularly teachers, are unjustly removed from the payroll, leaving them without salaries for months despite continuing their duties.

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Osei-Asare described the situation as “painful,” noting that some workers endure up to eight months without reinstatement due to deliberate actions by certain officials.

“It’s distressing when genuine workers are removed from the payroll, sometimes as a power play by validators or heads,” she stated.

Deputy Minister of Finance, Thomas Ampem Nyarko, confirmed that the government is investigating the allegations of payroll fraud, emphasising the traceability of actions within the digital payroll system.

“The system allows us to identify who activates or deactivates a worker’s name. We are taking the case of the teacher, whose removal was linked to a bribe refusal very seriously, and investigations are underway,” he said.

He assured the public that those found culpable will face sanctions, reinforcing the government’s commitment to tackling corruption.

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Controller and Accountant General, Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem, acknowledged challenges in the payroll validation process, explaining that payments depend on district-level validators confirming staff details.

“Without validation from the districts, we cannot process payments. The issue often lies at that level, and reinstatement follows the same process,” he noted.

However, he stressed that there are ongoing efforts to streamline the system and address irregularities.

GA/VPO

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