Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Clement Apaak, has raised alarm over what he describes as deliberate collusion in the payment of inflated salaries to staff of the Ghana Education Service (GES), warning that individuals behind the fraudulent scheme will soon be unmasked.
Speaking before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Friday, Dr. Apaak revealed that the Ministry has identified instances where certain GES employees were paid salaries far above their entitlements, describing it as a calculated attempt to defraud 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 Accountant-General would on their own decide to pay the staff of GES at a rate higher than what they ought to be getting.”
Dr. Apaak assured the committee that ongoing investigations were actively probing the matter and that individuals found complicit in the scheme would not escape accountability.
“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 will be duly exposed,” he stressed.
The PAC sitting forms part of its scrutiny of irregularities cited in the Auditor-General’s report, with payroll discrepancies in the education sector topping the list of concerns.
This revelation comes against the backdrop of recent scandals in the GES payroll system. In May 2025, a High Court in Tamale convicted six individuals linked to a payroll corruption ring that exploited ghost names and falsified salary claims within the Service.
The convictions were secured under the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s (OSP) plea bargaining framework, which ensured that the state recovered the stolen funds through restitution and reparation.
Stakeholders have long raised concerns over payroll fraud in the public sector, particularly in education, which accounts for one of the largest portions of government expenditure.
With Dr. Apaak’s assurance, expectations are high that the Ministry’s ongoing investigations will finally address the long-standing menace of “ghost names” and inflated salary schemes within the GES.
