By Ashiadey Dotse
A new investigation by The Fourth Estate has uncovered a major payroll fraud scandal involving a senior civil servant who allegedly received a staggering GHS427 million in unearned salaries within just 29 months.
The report released on Monday, April 20, 2026, names Frank Oliver Kpodo, a former Director of Procurement at the Ministry of Defence, as the central figure in the case. According to findings from the Auditor-General, Mr Kpodo was paid an average of more than GHS14 million monthly between January 2023 and June 2025, despite allegedly doing little to no work.
Auditor-General’s payroll audit revealed that over 6,000 government workers collectively received more than GHS800 million in unearned salaries. However, Mr Kpodo alone accounted for more than half of that amount, raising serious concerns about the integrity of Ghana’s public payroll system.
The report described the system as weak and vulnerable, allowing large sums of public funds to be paid out without proper checks. The Auditor-General has recommended that the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department immediately remove all unqualified names from the payroll and recover the funds.
Mr Kpodo’s case has also drawn attention from Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, especially after a separate procurement issue involving a GHS4.8 million contract for six vehicles that were never delivered. Lawmakers have since called for his interdiction and prosecution.
The investigations also revealed that, at the time the payments were made, Dr Evans Agbeme Dzikum served as Chief Director of the Defence Ministry, a role responsible for overseeing financial approvals.
According to the Fourth Estate, Experts say the scale of the fraud suggests possible collusion. Financial analyst Nana Kwaku Amankwah Appiah believes such payments could not have gone unnoticed without involvement from multiple actors.
“There might be a chain of people benefiting from this,” he said.
Procurement expert Kobina Ata-Bedu also pointed to weak enforcement of laws as a major problem, stressing that offenders must be punished to deter future abuse.
Meanwhile, Professor Peter Quartey of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research described payroll fraud as a long-standing issue in Ghana, blaming “gatekeepers” within the system for allowing such practices to continue.
Responding to the allegations, Mr Kpodo denied any wrongdoing. He said he was unaware of the irregular payments and insisted his salaries were processed through official systems with valid payslips.
The scandal has renewed calls for stricter oversight, accountability, and reforms in Ghana’s public financial management system, as concerns grow over the misuse of state funds while critical sectors remain underfunded.
