As Auditor- General Nails Anti-Corruption Agency for Using Seized Items without Register
The Auditor- General has revealed that the Economic and Organized Crime Unit has been registering and
keeping items seized from suspects, without a record of the assets.
EOCO normally uses its special powers to seize and control properties such as money, vehicles and
buildings when it believes that these items have been acquired by the proceeds of crime. But if the
Auditor –General is to be believed, EOCO has discovered a prime means by which these assets could
disappear into the pockets of the officials of EOCO.
Interestingly, and shockingly, the Auditor-General has indicted the office for failing to keep a proper
record of these seized properties.
This was contained in Report of the Auditor-General on the Public Accounts of Ghana – Public Boards,
Corporations and other Statutory Institutions for the period ended 31 December 2023, on the section
for the Ministry Of Justice and Attorney-General’s Department.
The Auditor –General stated under ‘Economic and Organised Crime Office’ at paragraph 148 thus;
“We noted from the Surveillance and Asset Recovery Unit and other investigative Units of the Office
that exhibits seized from suspects during operations are registered and kept by the Office. However,
the Office did not provide the register or any document on the exhibits for verification to confirm
their existence. We urged the Heads of Legal, Monitoring and Evaluation, and the Internal Audit Units
to provide us with the lists/register and any other document on all non-monetary exhibits for our
verification, failing which Section 33 of the Audit Service Act, 2000 (Act 584) should be enforced.”
