1 Comment 
The Center for Accountability and Rule of Law (CARL) has raised concerns over the Sierra Leone government’s payout of four thousand six hundred and sixty-two Leones (Le 4,662) to ghost teachers in the country. CARL’s concerns align with a recent memorandum authorised by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) and released by the Ministry of Finance, indicating a significant loss of public funds.
The memorandum dated July 24, 2025, and addressed to various banking institutions, states that “ghost workers” were identified after a physical verification exercise conducted by the TSC this year. It requests the listed banks to provide the Ministry of Finance with comprehensive information regarding the status of the accounts of the teachers named in the memorandum, as well as withdrawals made from January to June 2025.
CARL commended the TSC for its ongoing efforts to ensure accountability in public service delivery, particularly concerning salary payments. They expressed hope that the Ministry of Finance will remove these names from the payroll and fully recover the funds.
“The presence of ghost workers in the public service payroll has persisted for several years,” stated Jeremy Ben Simbo, CARL’s Head of Programmes, adding that it may be part of a criminal scheme to siphon public funds into the pockets of individuals across relevant ministries and departments.
Public officials have historically employed various methods to defraud the state of funds necessary for providing basic services. “It wasn’t a mistake,” Mr. Ben Simbo emphasized, describing the situation as a “plain criminal enterprise” orchestrated by key actors across ministries, agencies, and school administrations.
While CARL commends the Ministry of Finance for its efforts to recover the funds, they urge the Anti-Corruption Commission to ensure not only the full recovery of the sums involved but also a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disbursement. Where credible evidence of criminal intent exists, those responsible should face justice.
The organization further demands that the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education and the Ministry of Finance release a clear statement regarding this unacceptable situation. They call for the suspension of those suspected of participating in the scheme and the withholding of their salaries and benefits until the investigation concludes.
Thank you Mr Simbo for unveiling such a sensitive matter to public. There’s a cyndicate between the ministries and the banks to siphon public funds. So whoever or banks that is going to be found culpable, let the individual or banks face a full penalties of the law. We need to take a drastic measure against corrupt individuals or banks if we want to save the future of this country.