Award-winning musician Okyeame Kwame has suggested that the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) redirect its focus to auditing the lifestyle of politicians rather than celebrities.
In an interview with TV3, the musician argued that it is uncommon to find celebrities leading luxurious lives, as these individuals strive to succeed in Ghana’s unstable economy.
According to him, politicians are the ones who often escape the economic challenges by resorting to dubious means to sustain their lifestyles.
“I have been in the celebrity space for over 20 years, and I don’t think they will find any ‘criminals’ among artistes or many celebrities and filmmakers because these people are struggling. It is very challenging to be in this industry as an influencer or artist and just survive based on that. I have not seen celebrities in Ferraris, Maybachs, Porsche cars, or multimillion-dollar mansions. Where are they? Show me one.
“However, the people that I have seen living lavishly are politicians. I have seen civil servants making maybe ₵14,000 a month driving S-class cars,” he told Berla Mundi on TV3’s New Day on Monday.
Okyeame Kwame’s comments follow the Authority’s declaration of its intention to scrutinize lifestyle audits on celebrities and individuals whose wealth raises eyebrows.
EOCO’s latest approach aims to address the surge in unexplained enrichment and illicit wealth-generating activities within the country.
EOCO’s focus on celebrities comes after Ghanaian social media influencer and musician Mona Montrage, also known as Hajia4reall, pleaded guilty in a $2 million romance scam case.
I doubt they will find celebrities who are criminals because, a lot of them are suffering due to the state of our industry. They should rather target politicians – Okyeame Kwame on EOCO’s lifestyle audit targeting celebrities.#TV3NewDay pic.twitter.com/jal4ahwk4J
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) February 26, 2024