OSP charges 6 over payroll fraud and corruption

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has brought charges against six individuals at the High Court in Tamale, Northern Region, for offences relating to payroll fraud and corruption.

The accused—Yakubu Tahidu, Abdulai Abukari Sadic, Sammy Suuk, Mohammed Yusif Jay, Stafford Korletey Azudey-Barres, and Osman Issahaku—face 17 counts of corruption, alleged to have caused financial loss to the state.

This case arose from a referral by National Security, which alleged that Yakubu Tahidu, though no longer a teacher, continued to receive salaries while employed at another government agency. The remaining accused are alleged to have knowingly facilitated or failed to prevent the fraudulent payments.

Yakubu Tahidu, formerly a teacher at Balogu M/A JHS, is accused of illegally receiving salaries after vacating his post to join the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC).

Abdulai Abukari Sadic, the Yendi Municipal IPPD Coordinator, and Sammy Suuk, a Schools Improvement Support Officer, are accused of facilitating salary validations for the first accused.

Mohammed Yusif Jay, the former headteacher of Balogu M/A JHS, allegedly validated the salaries despite being reassigned to another school.

Stafford Korletey Azudey-Barres, an Assistant Chief Accounts Technician at the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department, is alleged to have aided the processing of fraudulent payments.

Osman Issahaku, the current headteacher of Balogu M/A JHS, is accused of continuing to validate the irregular payments.

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