The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), has denied misusing funds from accounts of individuals and organizations it is investigating.
But the organizations however admitted it used to engage in this practice when government subventions delayed.
It was revealed at a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sitting that EOCO had used funds from accounts seized from people it is investigating to run the organisation.
This was during an interrogation of the Auditor General’s report on state owned boards and cooperation’s between 2010 and 2011.
The Member of Parliament for Effutu (MP), Alex Afenyo Markin is also accusing EOCO of operating illegally and has threatened to drag the office to the Supreme Court.
Speaking to Citi News in an exclusive interview, the Executive Director of EOCO, Mortey Akpadzi, denied the allegations saying, the practice is not happening under his watch.
He recalled that since EOCO was set up in 2010, “nothing like that has happened and will ever happen at least, under my watch because by law, it’s illegal to touch exhibits.”
Mr. Akpadzi however admitted that the practice used to exist before he took over explaining that such funds were tampered with when EOCO “was expecting government subvention and it wasn’t coming, we will use it and when the subvention came, they will replenish it.”
He insisted it was against the law “and so we will never touch it under any circumstances and it has never happened under my watch.”
He gave the assurance however that the practice will not happen again “because we are we are putting in institutional measures to prevent it even after I leave.”
Click on link below to listen to the EOCO boss
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana