The Economic and Organised Crime Office also known as EOCO has commenced a criminal investigation into a significant payroll fraud operation. According to a Citi Newsroom report the scheme involves the illegal inclusion of ghost names on the payroll of a major state institution. These fraudulent activities resulted in the loss of several million cedis in public funds according to the same outlet.
Investigators currently focus on the suspected involvement of high ranking officials within the unidentified state agency. The EOCO has not yet publicly named the specific institution or the individuals under investigation. A report by Graphic Online indicates that the agency is working to identify the specific period during which the alleged theft occurred.
Official statements from the Economic and Organised Crime Office suggest that the probe aims to uncover the network responsible for the unauthorized payments. The agency intends to recover the stolen funds and prosecute any officials found complicit in the scandal. While the exact figure remains unconfirmed by official state auditors Citi Newsroom describes the financial loss as substantial.
As of the current investigation stage no formal charges have been filed in court. The EOCO remains the primary body handling the inquiry according to reports from GhanaWeb. The agency has cautioned that all suspects remain innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Further updates are expected once the EOCO completes its forensic audit of the agency payroll systems.