Contrary to Regulation 92 of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (L.I. 2378), the Auditor-General has said its payroll audit disclosed that the management of the Ashanti regional office of the National Disaster Management Authority (NADMO) validated the payment of “unearned salaries” totalling GH¢99,764.41 to five separated staff. 

The “infraction”, according to the report, was “largely due to management’s failure to follow-up on letters they wrote to the banks to embargo the salaries of the officers”. 

The A-G’s report said: “The infraction has caused the state to lose an amount of GH¢99,764.41, which could have been used for other developments”. 

“We recommended that the total unearned salaries of GH¢99,764.41 should be recovered (less Pay As You Earn (PAYE taxes)), from the respective separated staff and paid to government chest, failing which, the salary validators, Mr. Ed. Koduah Atakora and Mr. Bernard Asare Boateng, should be jointly held liable to refund the amount involved”.

Also, the A-G’s report said the management of the Ashanti Mampong arm of NADMO could not explain why it paid one of its staff a total unearned salary of GH¢14,428.89 2475 even though Mr Orstin Amoabeng Edward refused to return to work after his study leave to the Netherlands, the 2021 Auditor-General’s report has revealed.

Regulation 92 of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (L.I. 2378) requires, among others 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 on the vacation of post by an employee and the head of a covered entity shall take the necessary action to recover any unearned compensation occasioned by that.

However, the A-G said it noted that after Mr Orstin Amoabeng Edward’s 18- month study leave with pay that ended on 23 April 2019, he “failed to either resume duty after the leave expired or communicate to management for an extension”. 

The report said despite his “failure to resume duty after a series of letters had been written to remind him, the management validated and approved the payment of unearned salary amounting to GH¢14,428.89 between the period May to November 2019”. 

The A-G noted that the management “could not provide any reason for this infraction”. 

“This constitutes loss of funds to the State”, the report said. 

“We recommended to the Co-ordinator to recover the unearned salary of GH¢14,428.89 from Mr. Orstin Amoabeng Edward or his guarantors into the Controller and Accountant-General’s Salaries Suspense Accounts, failing which, the Co-ordinator should personally refund the amount involved”, the report said