The EOCO Act has to be improved in order to be more effective. Attorney General’s Deputy
The Attorney General’s Office, the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, and the Financial Intelligence Centre attended a stakeholder meeting last week held by the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) to discuss repealing Act 804 and drafting a new bill.
The time has come for the shortcomings in the EOCO Act 2010 (Act 804) to be corrected in order to make EOCO more successful in its operations, according to Alfred Tuah Yeboah, Deputy Minister of Justice, who gave the keynote speech on the repeal of the Act.
In response to concerns about the EOCO Act 2010(804), he said that its repeal will make EOCO’s activities more clear and provide it the independence it needs to operate efficiently and carry out its mandate.
He added that the proposed legislation would close gaps in the Act’s provisions for asset management, freezing and seizure, other funding sources, and confiscation in order to enhance the legal foundation upon which the Office operates.
The Economic and Organized Crime Executive Director, COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Daquah, expressed her extreme happiness at the meeting and thanked all of the important partners who were there. She also lamented the fact that the absence of Economic and Organized Crime service requirements has a significant impact on the retention of officers within the organization.
Edward Cudjoe, EOCO’s Director of Administration, walked stakeholders through the current EOCO Act while pointing out key flaws and stressing the urgency of fixing them. EOCO’s status as a security agency, the sources of finance for its operational activities, and the management, freezing, and seizure of assets were notable among them.
After he finished speaking, the measure was up for comments, debate, and contributions. Diverse opinions, advice, and criticisms were tossed around in an effort to strengthen the bill as legislation.
The Board Chairman of Economic and Organized Crime, Mr. Stephen Raymond Dapaah-Addo, the Head of Legislative Drafting at AG’s, Mrs. Mavis Amoa, the Deputy Executive Directors of Economic and Organized Crime, Nana Antwi and Mrs. Aba J. Opoku, as well as a few officers of EOCO, were all present at the meeting.
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