MASLOC worker faces court for withdrawing teacher salary despite quitting teaching job — OSP

Yakubu Tahidu, a former teacher, and five other people have been brought before the Tamale High Court by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) on charges of payroll fraud and corruption.

Tahidi, who quit his teaching position at Balogu M/A JHS to work at the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), is suspected of receiving his teaching salary after resigning, according to a post by the anti-graft body via X on Monday, February 17.

After being referred by National Security, the OSP discovered that Tahidu had been receiving salaries to which he was no longer entitled. Payroll management officials are also being charged for their suspected involvement in the fraudulent payments.

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

Abdulai Abukari Sadic, the Yendi Municipal IPPD Coordinator, and Sammy Suuk, a Schools Improvement Support Officer, allegedly processed salary validations for Tahidu even after he left the teaching service.

Mohammed Yusif Jay, the former headteacher of Balogu M/A JHS, is accused of validating Tahidu’s salary despite being transferred to another school.

The fraudulent payments were allegedly processed with assistance from Stafford Korletey Azudey-Barres, an Assistant Chief Accounts Technician in the Controller and Accountant-General's Department.

The current headteacher of Balogu M/A JHS, Osman Issahaku, is also charged with continuing to validate the payments.