Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, has firmly stated that her office is not under political pressure when it comes to investigating and prosecuting cases.
This declaration comes in the wake of recent scrutiny following the referral of a suspected money laundering case involving former Water and Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah, to EOCO by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
Weeks ago, the OSP had forwarded the case to EOCO for further investigation and potential prosecution after announcing the dropping of all charges against Cecilia Dapaah due to a lack of credible evidence.
Addressing an anti-corruption forum, COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah emphasized that EOCO would only take action when solid evidence of wrongdoing is present. She stressed that her office operates independently, guided solely by the law and evidence at hand.
“Nobody will direct you when you have evidence. It is when you don’t have evidence, when you haven’t been able to put evidence together then someone can tell you not to do this,” COP Addo-Danquah explained. “But if you have done your work in such a way that you have evidence, very solid evidence, you just have to explain to the person that these are my evidence, these are A, B, and C and they are solid and I am presenting it to the court.”
The recent case involving Cecilia Dapaah saw the OSP initially filing charges against her for failing to declare her assets and seizing funds discovered in her possession. However, after a series of legal proceedings, including a repeat application for confirmation of seizure and freezing of bank accounts, the OSP decided to drop the charges against the former minister.
While the reasons behind this decision remain unclear, sources suggest that the OSP may have faced pressure from the court to unfreeze the accounts and return the seized funds to Cecilia Dapaah and her husband, Daniel Osei Kuffuor, within a specified timeframe.
COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah’s statements underscore the importance of upholding the rule of law and independence in the fight against corruption. As EOCO continues its investigations into the money laundering case, the public will be closely watching to ensure transparency and accountability in the pursuit of justice.