Deputy EC boss to drag EOCO to court

Deputy Chairperson in charge of Corporate Services at the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana, Georgina Opoku Amankwaa, has revealed her intentions to seek legal redress against the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) over investigations against her.

Asante-Krobea Sekyere and Associates, lawyers of Ms Amankwa, in a letter dated October 3, 2017 stated that they are “giving notice of our intention to go to court against your office to the Attorney-General whom you claim you have submitted your report on the investigation to”.

According to the lawyers, numerous letters written to EOCO to furnish them with the progress of investigations against their client by the Chairperson of the EC have been ignored without any receipts.

EOCO is investigating some officials of the EC over the loss of GHS 480,000 from the Commission’s Endowment Fund.

The officials include Ms Amankwah, Kwaku Owusu Agyei-Larbi who is the chief accountant and the finance officer, Joseph Kwaku Asamoah.

The lawyers said the action of EOCO is “keeping our client out of office indefinitely”.

The lawyers emphasised their displeasure and “unhappiness with the instruction issued from your office directing the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission to write to our client to proceed on leave on an allegation made by the same Chairperson on a matter that bordered on the Staff Endowment Fund”.

Again, the lawyers feel it was inappropriate for instructions to be issued to have Ms Amankwa proceed on leave, yet the Chairperson whom certain allegations have been levelled against is still in office while investigations are on-going.