CAGD rejects viral claim of GH¢427m 'unearned salaries,' says payroll system cannot pay beyond approved limits

The Controller and Accountant-General's Department (CAGD) has dismissed a social media publication alleging that a senior civil servant at the Defence Ministry received unearned salaries totalling GH¢427 million over a 29-month period. The CAGD described the claims as misleading and defended the integrity of the government payroll system, insisting that strong controls and automated safeguards prevent such anomalies. The Department stated, "The Government payroll system runs on controls and automations which allow only approved pay structures by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to be processed for employees eligible under their conditions of service."

The report, attributed to "The Fourth Estate" and published on April 20, 2026, claimed the payments averaged more than GH¢14 million per month and suggested the figures were highlighted in a recent Auditor-General's report covering January 2023 to June 2025. The CAGD explained that salary payments are not processed without oversight from covered entities and that monthly salaries are paid to eligible employees after online validation by the Heads of the various Covered Entities. The CAGD added that additional internal checks are applied before payments are made, and on the basis of these controls, the Department insisted the allegation was not feasible, stating, "It is therefore impossible under the current payroll arrangement to pay a government employee salary in excess of what is legally due that employee."

The Controller and Accountant-General's Department urged caution in the dissemination of such claims, emphasizing its willingness to engage in verification. The CAGD maintains an open-door policy, and expects that any such claims should be verified before publication. The clarification comes amid heightened public interest in public sector payroll accountability and ongoing scrutiny of government expenditure systems.