AG’s Department Cited for Dubious Payment of Ghc170k Unearned Salaries

The Auditor-General has cited the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General’s Department for paying unearned salaries to two former staff.

The indictment is contained in the latest Auditor General’s Report for 2021.

According to the report, Godfred Yeboah Dame’s Ministry paid Lily Badungbana Atutigah and Jocelyn Edzie a sum of GH¢170,123.20 in 2021 although they had vacated their post in 2019.

“Regulation 92 of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (L.I. 2378) provides that, the Principal Spending Officer of a covered entity shall ensure the immediate stoppage of payment of salary to public servants and notify the Controller and Accountant-General in the following circumstances: the vacation of post by an employee and the resignation or retirement of an employee.

“We noted that two staff of the Ministry, Lily Badungbana Atutigah resigned on 17 January 2021, and Jocelyn Edzie who vacated post in September 2019, were paid a total unearned salary of GH¢170,123.20 for the period September 2019 to February 2021,” parts of the report said.

The AG directed that the Chief Director of the Ministry of Justice to recover the total amount of GH¢170,123.00 from Lily Badungbana Atutigah and Jocelyn Edzie.

“We recommended that the Chief Director should, failure of which the Chief Director and the validators should be held liable for refund of the amount,” the Auditor General adds.