Scandal rocks EOCO over 'missing' Gh¢2.7m

The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has been rocked by a scandal after it was revealed that over Gh¢2.7 million is missing from the body's accounts.

The 2015 Auditor General report has disclosed that EOCO had been ordered by a court to pay amounts of $366,985 and Gh¢646,188.35 to an applicant from its exhibit account.

However, it has emerged that some officials of EOCO intentionally inflated the amount and ended up transferring an excess amount of $619,039.16 (Gh¢2,748,977) to the applicant.

The Auditor General report, which is currently being scrutinized in Parliament, instructed the management of the investigative body to "recover the excess funds of $619,039.16 or provide justification for the transfer of the amount", which is yet to be done.

The report also disclosed that between 2013 and 2014 some officials of EOCO, totaling six persons, illegally took salaries of over Gh¢22,000, while recommending that "efforts be made by management to recover the total amount".

The report further instructed management of EOCO to "investigate and pay off" an amount of f Gh¢17,254.63 shown as creditors which has remained on their financial statement since 2009.