Court adjourns EOCO case
The Supreme Court has adjourned to March 3, 2016, the case in which a Member of Parliament (MP), Mr Alexander Afenyo Markins is seeking an interpretation on the law that empowers the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to transfer money from frozen accounts of companies, individuals or institutions into its own exhibit account.
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When the case was called last Thursday, the judge was not present but the court clerk announced the new adjourned date.
Issue at stake
In the case itself, Mr Markins contends that the EOCO may be going beyond its powers by requesting and sometimes obtaining court powers to have such money transferred into its accounts.
According to him, the procedures used by the EOCO in enforcing the anti-money laundering laws ought to be done within the ambit of the law.
He said the actions of the EOCO was not backed by law and nowhere in all the legislation that informed the functions of the EOCO, had it been stated that money ought to be transferred into an exhibit account.
According to him, the creation of the exhibit account was unknown to the laws of the country and it only served to create a temporary denial of funds to the owner.
EOCO indicted
The action of Mr Markins followed a 2010 Auditor-General’s report which indicted the EOCO for failing to account for more than GH¢1.4 million of public money.
The EOCO was also accused of an irregular retention of an additional GH¢2 million belonging to individuals and institutions due to administrative lapses.
Among other recommendations, the AG directed the management of EOCO to refund part of the money to the state.
The EOCO was subsequently hauled before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament but the proceedings were held in camera.
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