How a ‘jakpa’ headteacher colluded with a colleague to secure GH₵26k in unearned salary

On August 22, 2024, 2:25 AM

The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has directed the prosecution of a teacher in Sunyani, Comfort Appiah, over a payroll irregularity involving unearned salary. 

This follows a revelation from the Kintampo South District Education Directorate that a headteacher, Bismark Agyekum, who also served as a payroll validator, fled to California with a validation code, enabling him to fraudulently secure GH₵26,000 in unearned salary.

According to the District Director of Education, Daniel Yaw Appiah, Agyekum transferred the funds to the colleague teacher’s account in Sunyani after the money was deposited into his account.

The Public Accounts Committee noted possible collusion between the headmistress and the teacher and instructed that the case be referred to the Attorney-General for prosecution.

Meanwhile, during the same PAC session, Ray Ankrah, the Deputy CEO of COCOBOD in charge of Finance and Administration, revealed that GH₵200,000 out of a total GH₵1.8 million in unpaid funds had been recovered, with efforts underway to retrieve the remaining balance.

Ankrah also disclosed that GH₵1.6 million of COCOBOD’s investments are locked with Zenith Bank due to the government’s Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).

Additionally, representatives from the Ghana Police Service, Fire Service, Prisons Service, and Immigration Service appeared before the Committee to address queries raised by the Auditor-General.

The PAC’s public hearings in Accra have concluded, and the Committee will move its proceedings to the regions next week.