Director of Procurement at the Ministry of Defence, Frank Oliver Kpodo has been cited in a major payroll irregularities scandal after allegedly receiving more than GHS427 million in unearned salaries over a 29-month period.
According to the Auditor-General’s report, he received an average of over GHS14 million per month despite reportedly not earning the payments, raising serious concerns about oversight and internal controls within the public sector payroll system.
The findings form part of a broader audit that uncovered widespread irregularities, with more than 6,000 government employees collectively receiving in excess of GHS800 million in unearned salaries during the period under review.
Notably, the amount attributed to him alone accounts for more than half of the total unearned payments identified, highlighting what auditors describe as a significant breakdown in payroll validation and monitoring mechanisms.
The report paints a troubling picture of a system vulnerable to abuse, where lapses in verification, weak enforcement of accountability measures, and poor data management have enabled large-scale financial leakages.
It further indicates that many of the individuals implicated in the irregular payments either did little to no work or remained on the payroll without proper validation of their employment status.
The revelations have sparked renewed calls for urgent reforms in Ghana’s public financial management systems, particularly the strengthening of payroll controls, regular staff audits, and the enforcement of sanctions against those found culpable.
While the report does not outline specific punitive actions against him or other affected individuals, it recommends immediate recovery of the funds and a comprehensive review of payroll systems across all government institutions.
The Ministry of Defence and other relevant authorities are yet to publicly respond to the findings.
The scandal is expected to intensify scrutiny over public sector accountability and could prompt further investigations into the management of state resources.
CREDIT: Mavis Fantevi
