Commentary: EOCO, A Big Disgrace

We commend His Excellency Professor John Evans Atta Mills in his wisdom to empower a State institution like the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), now known as the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), unlike former Kufuor who decided to incapacitate institutions of state.

In fact, instead of ensuring that institutions function effectively and efficiently, former President John Agyekum Kufuor chose to completely render them unless, so he and his appointees could have the field day to loot and batter state coffers.

Although the expectation of Ghanaians was Mr. Kufuor will empower the then SFO under his regime, to investigate all corruption cases involving his appointees and other public officials who took pleasure in misusing their office, to the surprise of many discerning minds, the former president rather decided to establish the so-called Office of Accountability at the Castle, where he kept public funds looted by his appointees.

President Mills in assumption of office as the leader of this nation, made it known that he is the “father for all” and has indeed, demonstrated and lived up to his promise, unlike his predecessor who became very vindictive in power and ended up turning all institutions of state into an NPP private business enterprise.

Even civil servants with much expertise to efficiently manage the affairs of state were asked to proceed on leave, for no apparent reasons; because the NPP was in power and so, therefore, all those who worked under former President Rawlings were NDC.

The Informer will not forget about the infamous “proceed on leave” cliché. That is why we think President Mills stands tall and fastly becoming the most respected leader both on the African continent and the world at large.

As much as we commend President Mills in elevating the SFO to its current status, we also hold the view that the EOCO is becoming a big disgrace, following some intelligent information that we have picked up in the wake of this ‘Woyome affair’.

This paper’s beef is that, the Executive Director, Mr. Biadela. Akpadzi Mortey and his outfit did not conduct themselves professionally at all, as confidential issues shared with them by Mr. Alfred Woyome, to be precise, about his private security, were next moment all over the airwaves.

As if that was not enough, credible information available to us reveals that, the interim report submitted to the President last Thursday was intentionally leaked to The Daily Guide for publication by elements within the EOCO. This we shall soon expose.

Furthermore, whiles the EOCO was given the order to freeze the ADB account of Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome, it went ahead to freeze all other accounts that he is a signatory to, totally disobeying the court.

As for a certain journalist (name withheld for now) being part of the team that came out with the EOCO interim report, the least talked about that the better. But the fact still stands that Mr. Mortey Akpadzi and his EOCO are a disgrace: And if this is the way they are going to carry out their duty then, we are afraid.

The Informer is very much disappointed in Mr. Mortey, for only concentrating on the judgment debt paid Mr. Woyome, when the directive from the President was to investigate all judgment debts. And indeed, if this is the way they are going to conduct their operations, then we wonder whether Ghanaians will take them serious.

In fact, we are giving the EOCO the end of this month to produce a full report on all the judgment debts as the President has asked; or they face our wrath.