Deputy Education Minister Dr. Clement Apaak has hinted at collusion in the payment of inflated salaries to staff of the Ghana Education Service (GES), warning that those involved will soon be unmasked.
Speaking at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Friday, Dr. Apaak said the Ministry was aware of schemes that allowed some staff to receive more than their entitled salaries, describing the practice as a deliberate attempt to cheat the state.
“The aspect of dishonesty cannot be overlooked, but I must state that we know of instances of collusion,” he told the committee. “Let’s not mince words, because it is very strange that the controller and the accountant general would on their own decide to pay the staff of GES at a rate higher than what they ought to be getting.”
He assured the committee that ongoing investigations would identify those responsible. “When the Director-General spoke about some work that we are doing, some of these issues are being considered, and sooner than later, those who have made it their mission to fleece the state through all kinds of schemes would be duly exposed. I want to reassure the committee of that.”
The Public Accounts Committee is probing irregularities flagged in the Auditor-General’s report, including payroll concerns in the education sector.
Issues regarding fraudulent payments in the education space are hardly new. In May this year, the High Court in Tamale convicted six individuals for their involvement in a payroll corruption scheme that exploited the Ghana Education Service (GES) through the use of ghost names and fraudulent salary payments.
The convictions were secured under the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s (OSP) plea bargaining framework, which facilitated full restitution and reparation to the State.