The Auditor-General’s Department Ghana has issued a formal apology after a significant error in its nationwide payroll audit wrongly linked a public servant to an unearned salary of over GH¢427 million.
Audit Error Clarified
The controversy followed a payroll audit covering January 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025, which was widely reported to have implicated Frank Oliver Kpodo as receiving GH¢427,995,661.40 in unearned salary.
However, in a statement released on April 21, 2026, the Auditor-General clarified that the figure resulted from a transpositional error and was not attributable to the individual named.
Instead, the amount relates to payroll discrepancies involving 3,476 unaccounted staff under the Ministry of Education Ghana.
Apology Issued
The Auditor-General’s office extended an unreserved apology to Mr Kpodo, acknowledging the reputational damage and public distress caused.
“We extend our most sincere and unreserved apologies… for the distress and unwarranted public scrutiny this error may have caused.”
The apology was also directed at government institutions, citizens, and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department.
CAGD Rejects Claims
Meanwhile, the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department dismissed separate claims circulating on social media that a senior official at the Ministry of Defence had received a similar amount in unearned salaries.
The Department emphasised that Ghana’s payroll system is built with strict controls and automated validation processes to prevent such irregularities.
Strong Payroll Safeguards
According to the CAGD:
Salaries are processed only after approval under structures set by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission
Payments go through multiple verification layers
Monthly validations are conducted before funds are released
The clarification aims to restore public confidence in the integrity of Ghana’s payroll system while addressing concerns raised by the initial report.
