The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has denied reports that it did not apply for the findings of the “transboundary investigations” conducted by the OSP and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).
According to the Executive Director of EOCO, COP Tiwaa Addo Danquah, her outfit requested the report as far back as 1st February, 2024.
In a press release dated 7th May, 2024, the EOCO said its “attention has been drawn to a statement by one Samuel Appiah Darko, described as the Director of Strategy, Research and Communications at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), to the effect that EOCO did not request the findings of the “transboundary investigations” conducted by the OSP and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and which formed the basis for the suspicion of the offence of money-laundering allegedly committed by Ms. Cecilia Dapaah.”
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It continued that, “Following receipt of the “referral” by the OSP on 25th January, 2024, EOCO by a letter dated 1st February, 2024 signed by the Deputy Executive Director (Operations), Abdulai Bashiru Dapilah, requested the Special Prosecutor for “a copy of the findings on the case to facilitate” EOCO’s investigations.
EOCO’s letter of 1st February, 2024 was received at the Front Desk of the Office of the Special Prosecutor by a Field Desk Officer II, Solomon Tetteh, who duly signed for the letter at 9.52 a_m. on 2nd February, 2024. The Deputy Executive-Director of EOCO, Bashiru Dapilah, followed up to the OSP and discussed with Mr. Emmanuel Basintale, the Director of Investigations of the OSP, the possibility of expediting the release of the report.
This discussion was done in the presence of the Deputy Special Prosecutor Ms Cynthia Lamptey. Mr. Basintale assured that as soon as he received clearance from the SP the report would be released to EOCO to assist in investigations. To date, EOCO has not received any information from the OSP.”
The antigraft agency insists that in the absence of that report, all it was left to rely on is the content of the SOP’s press release dated 25th January, 2024
“EOCO deems it pertinent to indicate that it is aware of a Press Release issued by the OSP dated the same day that the OSP referred the investigations to EOCO — 25th January, 2024, in which the OSP stated that “after nearly seven months of extensive investigations by the OSP and a parallel inquiry by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) of the United States, no direct and immediate evidence of corruption has been found in the seized funds and frozen bank accounts linked to Ms. Dapaah and her associates,” Madam Tiwaa Addo Danquah wrote.
EOCO further noted that “the OSP had in its letter referring the docket to EOCO stated, that, “in October, 2023, the investigation became transboundary with the involvement of the “Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) of the United States in respect of parts of the cash sums that were alleged to have been transported into the jurisdiction from the United States. After seven (7) months of extensive investigation and four (4) months of collaborative investigation, it seems to the OSP that the case is largely in the province of suspected money laundering and structuring’.”
“The facts stated above made it necessary for EOCO to seek the advice of the Attorney-General on the matter as, in view of the clear indication by the OSP that the office had found no direct and immediate evidence of corruption in the seized funds and frozen bank accounts linked to the former Minister, it was difficult to ascertain the offence on which to posit an allegation of money-laundering,” the EOCO boss stated.
She added that “Following the review of the docket presented by the OSP and the advice of the Attorney-General, EOCO returned the original docket received from the OSP back to the OSP on 3rd May, 2024.
EOCO hereby assures the general public of its preparedness to uphold the highest investigative standards and to do right to all persons irrespective of political, gender, race, ethnic, social or economic status.”
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