Manipulators of YEA payroll will be prosecuted - Awal Mohammed

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Awal Mohammed has explained that the institution suspended the payment of salaries for some 24, 000 beneficiaries due fraud in the system.

According to him, the suspension was necessitated due to some discrepancies detected on the beneficiary payroll.

Awal Mohammed speaking to Kwame Tutu on Rainbow Radio 87.5fm said preliminary audit on the payroll revealed that some beneficiaries using the same E-zwich numbers; Two thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine (2,999) beneficiaries not at post but continue to draw allowance; Payments made to some beneficiaries for no work done; Non-payment of some beneficiaries since May 2016 leading to huge arrears; and Some beneficiaries working without appointment and assumption of duty letters.

YEA in a statement issued earlier said the ‘’preliminary audit by Management has saved the Agency and the Ghanaian taxpayer, One million, sixty seven thousand and seven hundred Ghana cedis (GH? 1,067,700) per month.

On the basis of these findings, Management has commissioned the Internal Audit Agency to conduct a special audit into the operations of the Agency.

This has become necessary in order to provide a platform for the new administration to take measures to prevent the scandals that rocked the Agency in the past.’’

He told the host that the offenders who manipulated the payroll would be pursued and punished according to the law.

According to him, EOCO has been brought in to reconcile the matter.

‘’We are investigating to ensure that we pay those who deserve to be paid and those who should be deleted and finally those who should be prosecuted.

We do not want the beneficiaries to be complaining of unpaid allowances and so we have to investigate and reconcile the issue,’’ he added.