The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) has asked a section of the media that claimed they (EOCO) use funds seized from suspects it is investigating to provide evidence to that effect.
A section of the media had reported that EOCO, the institution mandated to fight financial crime and corruption in Ghana, had admitted to using funds seized from people it is investigating.
The Chronicle and Daily Guide, both Accra-based dailies, had reported that "EOCO might have been directly accessing funds in the accounts of individuals they were investigating.
According to the publications, EOCO might have been forced to tamper with individuals' funds when the EOCO "was expecting government subvention and it wasn't coming, we will use it and when the subvention comes, they will replenish it."
However, speaking in an interview on �Kokrokoo� Tuesday, Mortey Akpadzi denied his outfit had engaged in such an act, and asked the media houses to provide evidence if they (the media) had any.
According to him, it was the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) that used to engage in such acts even though it is illegal, but when he assumed office and the SFO was changed to EOCO, �we have never done that�.
He indicated that even though the issue occurred under the SFO, it had already been dealt with by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
�I have never said EOCO has used any such funds; it has never happened and I dare anybody to come and open our account books and find out. We know it is illegal� we will never do it. Where these newspapers got their story from they are the only ones who know, but I challenge them to produce facts or evidence supporting their allegation because they are not true. I will not break the law. It is never done under my watch and we are putting measures in place so that it will never happen. The fact that SFO did it does not mean EOCO is also doing it�
Gideon Delali Deklu
Tuesday�s edition of The Chronicle newspaper reported that a Deputy Staff Officer at the EOCO, Mr. Gideon Delali Deklu, who was assigned to investigate the issue of using suspects� funds, managed to secure for himself a scholarship from the institution to pursue a three year Bachelor of Law studies at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), when investigations into the matter had not yet been concluded.
To find out how this occurred and whether or not it constitutes a conflict of interest, click on the audio above and listen to Mr. Akpadzi�s interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi.
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