Dr. Mockshell Esinam Sunu summoned over GH‵341,229 salary payment

Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has summoned Dr. Mockshell Esinam Sunu, a senior medical officer from the Takoradi Hospital, to explain why she received GH‵341,229 in salary for a study leave she did not undertake. The committee is investigating the circumstances under which the officer continued to receive full pay for nearly two years while failing to attend her approved academic program in Germany.

The payments in question reportedly spanned from September 2023 to August 2025. PAC Chairperson Abena Osei-Asare expressed serious concerns regarding the validation process at the facility level, questioning how the salary disbursements were authorized and maintained despite Dr. Sunu remaining in the country rather than traveling for her studies. The committee is seeking to determine whether the lapse was a result of administrative negligence or a deliberate circumvention of payroll controls.

The PAC has directed the Ministry of Health to ensure Dr. Sunu appears before the committee to clarify her role in the transaction and provide a justification for the funds received. Beyond the specific case of the medical officer, the committee is focused on identifying the validating officials who approved the monthly payroll entries, as their roles are critical to ensuring accountability within the public health sector’s financial management.

This investigation is part of the committee's broader mandate to review the Auditor-General’s reports and address irregularities in public spending. The PAC aims to establish whether the GH‵341,229 should be fully recovered and what disciplinary actions should be taken against the officers responsible for the oversight. The outcome of this case is expected to reinforce the need for stricter validation protocols across Ghana’s public institutions to prevent similar financial losses.