K147,000 paid to ‘ghost’ ministry workers

Thu, 03 Nov 2016 13:26:29 +0000

ELEVEN ‘‘ghost’’ workers  at the former Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Development and Social Welfare were paid salaries when they were not known or even at their respective work stations, it has been revealed.

The Auditor General’ s report for the financial year ended December 31, 2015, revealed that K147,226 was paid to officers based at three districts of Western Province but a head count carried out in June 2016 indicated that the officers were not at their respective work stations. And the report disclosed that inquiries made with the management revealed that the officers were not even known. And in a similar development, 43 of the officers were also introduced to the payroll during the period under review without appointment letters from the  Public Service Commission, and salaries amounting to K1,109,506 were paid to the officers in eight districts.

“In order for an officer to be introduced on the payroll, they must have an appointment letter from the Public Service Commission,” the AG’s report said. The report further revealed that about 40 retired officers were also re-introduced on the payroll at three district community medical offices in Central Province without letters or contracts of re-engagement from the Public Service Commission.