Any employer under the South Carolina Police Officers’ Retirement System may pay into the Police Officers’ Retirement System fund, on behalf of active member employees, an amount equal to the sum such members would be required to contribute to the fund for creditable prior service pursuant to § 9-11-170. The amounts paid into the fund shall be used for the payment of retirement benefits under the Police Officers’ Retirement System or shall be refunded to the employer. None of the moneys paid into the fund pursuant to this section shall be disbursed in any other manner to member employees upon termination of employment with the department nor shall any such funds be paid to a member employee’s surviving beneficiary as a residual credit to any member employee’s account which may have existed upon his death. Provided, however, that the interest accruing on the amount paid into the fund may be credited to the member employee’s account just as if he had made the contribution for creditable prior service for his account. Any time that the Police Officers’ Retirement System closes the account of an active member employee because of death or termination of employment with the employer the System shall refund to the employer the amount that it has paid into the fund on behalf of member employees for creditable prior service under the supplemental allowance program of the System.