According to government spokesman Felix Kwakye Ofosu, nearly GH50 million belonging to Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, the New Patriotic Party’s Ashanti Regional Chairman, has been frozen as part of ongoing investigations into alleged financial crimes.
The Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese member of parliament told JoyNews’ PM Express on Tuesday that the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) had taken steps to seize substantial sums of money thought to be related to numerous investigations.
“For example, in Chairman Wontumi’s case alone, approximately ¢50 million in his account has been blocked,” he said. Mr. Kwakye Ofosu stated that identical monetary discrepancies have been discovered in other high-profile cases that are being investigated.
“Similar figures are involved in the former Signals Bureau head Adu Boahen’s case, as well as the National Service case and many others,” he remarked.
He stated that the action is part of a larger state effort to track and seize assets linked to alleged corruption and financial crime. According to him, the current freeze is part of a bigger group of properties that officials have already seized.
“But for now, what they can do is freeze it, and they have done so: $1.5 billion.”
Mr Kwakye Ofosu intimated that the asset freezes are temporary safeguards awaiting the conclusion of judicial actions. He emphasised that the government cannot recover such properties directly until a court determines that they were acquired illegally.
“They will not be able to recover until the individuals engaged have been convicted by a court, which would grant you an unlawful mandate to recover whatever is alleged to have been stolen or the court would have found to have been stolen.” The government spokesperson also responded to the recent public criticism about John Mahama’s remarks about money recovered by EOCO.
“Indeed, there were people who accused the president of lying to them when he stated that EOCO had recovered $600 million,” he said.
Mr. Kwakye Ofosu stated that the figure provided by the President related to regular investigations conducted by EOCO. “That was in respect to the normal everyday cases that the EOCO handles.” He stated that the agency’s remit encompasses a broad spectrum of financial and organised crimes.
“Because they deal with issues of money laundering, cybercrime, cross-border crime, carjacking, and so on.” So it’s a normal activity for them. “
However, he stated that the investigations now receiving public attention involve alleged corruption and financial misdeeds that must go through legal processes before any restitution can be made. Mr Kwakye Ofosu stated that officials were still trying to find any more assets connected to the ongoing inquiry.
“This is even for the cases that they’ve been able to touch, not just those they haven’t.” “They are still in the process of tracing this asset.” He stated that asset tracking is a regular feature of criminal investigations involving financial offences.
“You know that when anyone is investigated or prosecuted, they conduct concurrent tracing of assets.” He said the goal is to ensure that suspect criminal funds are secured before cases are resolved.
“So that as much as possible we safeguard what we feel would be adequate with the amounts involved in offences that would have been committed.”
Source: MyJoyonline.com.
