EOCO Boss Says She's Not Under Any Political Pressure When Investigating, Prosecuting Cases

• EOCO boss, Maame Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, says she cannot be pressured to treat a case differently
• She said as long as there is hard evidence, there is no reason why she will not investigate and prosecute a case.
• She urged other anti-corruption agencies to work hard to prosecute offenders instead of blaming 'orders from above’

Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, says she is not compelled by any political influence to treat some cases differently when performing her duties.

Per the EOCO boss, she investigates and prosecutes all cases with the hard evidence she gathers.

She said she has never been ordered to treat her cases differently.

Last month, the Office of the Special Prosecutor referred a suspected money laundering case involving the former Water and Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah, to EOCO for further investigation and prosecution.

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This was after the OSP dropped all charges against the former minister for lack of credible evidence.

Addressing an anti-corruption forum, Maame Tiwah Addo Danquah said her office would only act when there is evidence of wrongdoing.

"Sometimes when I hear people say I'm handling a case and I have powers from above directing me, fortunately for me, I've not had that because you're' guided by the law. Nobody will direct you when you have evidence.

"It is when you don't' have evidence; you haven't' been able to put the evidence together, that is when somebody will tell you don't' do this. But if you have done your work in such a way that you have evidence, very solid evidence, you just have to explain to the person that ''these are my evidence, these are the things I have, A, B, C, D, solid and I'm' presenting it to the court'' nobody can stop you."

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She advised anti-corruption agencies to put in the work when investigating and prosecuting corruption-related cases to avoid having to offer excuses for a shoddy job done.

"But if we hide behind powers from above, powers from above, then we're' put aback, and we disappoint the citizens that they've given you a mandate, and you'll sit down and be complaining about powers from above, powers from above," she said.

The OSP dropped Cecilia Dapaah's case.

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the OSP has been ordered by an Accra High Court to return the seized assets of the former minister to her within 72 hours.

This was after Cecilia Dapaah was accused of money laundering after large sums of cash were discovered in her residence.

The OSP had faced several setbacks in pursuing the case, leading to the subsequent order to relinquish all that had been seized back to the former minister.

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The last of the setbacks was after an application to confirm the seizure orders regarding the bank accounts belonging to the minister was dismissed by the court for lack of credible evidence.

This decision was taken after a series of in-chamber hearings at the Financial and Economic Crimes Division of the Accra High Court on Thursday, January 25, 2024.

Source: YEN.com.gh