The Executive Director of the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) Mr. Motey Akpadzi, and two other officials have been cited for contempt by an Accra-based businessman for failing to comply with the orders of a Fast Track High Court in Accra.
The two officials are Mr. Edward Cudjoe, Acting Head of Legal Affairs and Mr. Charles Wilcox Ofori, Legal Officer.
The Financial Division 2 Court, presided over by Mr. Justice John Ajet-Nasam, on March 10, gave a ruling in which it ordered EOCO to release the accounts it had frozen at the Adabraka branch of the HFC Bank to the businessman, Mr. Christopher Nimako.
But when he went to the bank on March 28, 2014, to withdraw money, Mr. Wilcox Ofori (3rd Respondent) in collaboration with Mr. Cudjoe (2nd Respondent) arranged with security officers of EOCO to arrest the applicant (Mr. Nimako).
According to the businessman, the money he withdrew from the account which amounted to GH68,000 was personally collected from him by Mr. Ofori, without assigning any reasons and when he (Mr. Nimako) asked the security team for their identity, they shouted at him amidst intimidation.
Mr. Nimako said that the security officers took him to the office (EOCO), seized the money, and subjected him to an extensive interrogation after which they granted him bail without the GH68,000.
He said that on March 31, 2014 when he went to EOCO with his lawyer to find out the reason for the seizure of the money, he was re-arrested and whisked to a circuit court in Accra and prosecuted for money laundering.
The applicant said that it was after a hard struggle that he was granted bail with three sureties, two being civil servants earning not less than GH800 a month.
He said �the action by EOCO was a calculated attempt to circumvent the order of the High Court by disregarding the order with impunity and perpetrating a scheme that was also calculated to interfere with the administration of law and impeding and perverting the cause of justice.�
�The respondents have disregarded and as well challenged the fundamental supremacy of the law especially, judgement of a High Court which has superior jurisdiction over all inferior courts,� he added.
The case is slated for hearing on Wednesday, April 9.
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