Prince Ganaku, lawyer for Mr. Frank Oliver Kpodo, says his client feels vindicated after being cleared of allegations linked to a purported GH¢427 million payroll scandal.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Midday News on Tuesday, April 21, Mr. Ganaku described the development as welcoming, noting that the emergence of the facts has affirmed his client’s long-standing position.
“It’s always a good thing when the truth comes to light,” he stated, while stressing that the situation should never have escalated to the level it did.
His comments follow the Auditor-General’s Office’s withdrawal of a major error in its nationwide payroll audit report, admitting that it wrongly attributed GH¢427,995,661.40 in unearned salaries to a single public servant, Frank Oliver Kpodo.
In a press release dated April 21, 2026, the Office clarified that the amount was not received by Mr Kpodo, but rather related to payroll irregularities involving 3,476 unaccounted staff under the Ministry of Education.
According to the lawyer, Mr. Kpodo had engaged journalists from investigative outlet The Fourth Estate prior to publication of the claims and had indicated that the alleged payments were impossible under the existing controls at the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department. He added that his client had documentary evidence, including payslips, to refute the claims.
He, however, criticised the timing of the publication, explaining that the interaction with journalists occurred on a Sunday—when official financial records such as bank statements and payslips could not be readily accessed—yet the story was published the following morning.
“The journalists were aware that there was potentially exculpatory evidence, but they went ahead to publish,” he alleged.
Mr. Ganaku further questioned the decision to publish what he described as an “outlandish” figure without additional verification.
“For context, the amount being discussed would be equivalent to decades of an MP’s salary. Such a claim demands rigorous cross-checking,” he said, urging journalists to seek clarification from all relevant institutions before going public with sensitive findings.
Beyond the factual dispute, the lawyer said the episode has inflicted significant reputational damage on his client.
He pointed to the rapid spread of the allegations across social media platforms, where screenshots and commentary continue to circulate despite official clarification.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com