The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has charged six individuals with corruption and payroll fraud at the High Court in Tamale, Northern Region.
The accused—Yakubu Tahidu, Abdulai Abukari Sadic, Sammy Suuk, Mohammed Yusif Jay, Stafford Korletey Azudey-Barres, and Osman Issahaku—face 17 counts of corruption-related offences in a case of allegedly caused financial loss to the state.
Allegations of fraudulent salary payments
The case stems from a National Security referral, which alleged that Yakubu Tahidu, a former teacher at Balogu M/A JHS, continued receiving government salaries despite leaving his position to take up employment at the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC).
The remaining accused are alleged to have either facilitated or failed to prevent the fraudulent payments.
Abdulai Abukari Sadic, the Yendi Municipal IPPD Coordinator, and Sammy Suuk, a Schools Improvement Support Officer, are accused of facilitating Tahidu’s salary validations.
Mohammed Yusif Jay, the former headteacher of Balogu M/A JHS, allegedly continued to validate salaries despite his reassignment.
Stafford Korletey Azudey-Barres, an Assistant Chief Accounts Technician at the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department, is accused of aiding the processing of the payments.
Osman Issahaku, the current headteacher of Balogu M/A JHS, is also charged with validating the fraudulent salaries.
Crackdown on corruption
The OSP has reiterated its commitment to tackling financial misconduct within the public sector. The case forms part of broader efforts to clamp down on payroll fraud, a persistent challenge in Ghana’s public service.
The six accused are expected to face trial in Tamale as the OSP continues investigations into the case.
