Addressing the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Friday, Dr. Apaak described the situation as a deliberate attempt to siphon state funds through inflated salary payments.
According to him, the irregularities cannot simply be dismissed as administrative lapses, but rather point to intentional efforts to defraud the state.
He explained that the Ministry had identified cases where certain GES staff were receiving salaries far above their approved entitlements.
“It is very strange that the controller and the accountant general would on their own decide to pay the staff of GES at a rate higher than what they ought to be getting,” he said.
Dr. Apaak assured the committee that investigations are ongoing and will soon reveal the individuals and networks involved in the scheme.
He stated that the Ministry is committed to ensuring accountability and protecting the public purse from such fraudulent practices.
The PAC’s current sitting forms part of efforts to probe irregularities captured in the Auditor-General’s report, which flagged discrepancies in the education sector’s payroll.
This development follows earlier cases of salary-related fraud in the service.
In May, a Tamale High Court convicted six individuals over payroll corruption involving ghost names and fraudulent claims.
Those convictions were secured through the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s plea bargaining framework, which ensured restitution of funds to the state.