More than 80,000 'ghost names' found in Ghana payroll

Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday ordered an investigation into the operations of the National Service Authority under the former government following the discovery of more than 81,000 suspected ghost names on its payroll.

The ghost names were discovered following a headcount to clear arrears in allowance payments at the agency, which is in charge of supervising mandatory one-year employment placements for graduates, a statement from the presidency said.

It was unclear what previous payments may have been made under the ghost names.

The finance ministry had released 226 million Ghana cedis ($14.6 million) in payments to just over 98,000 legitimate payees, the presidency statement said.

Fight corruption

Mahama, who returned to office in January, promised to root out entrenched corruption in the oil and gold-producing West African nation that is emerging from its worst economic crisis in a generation.

Separately on Wednesday, Ghana's anti-graft agency, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), declared former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta "a wanted fugitive" in connection with his alleged role in five transactions under investigation for corruption and related offences.

Ofori-Atta was not immediately available for comment.