EOCO Stops Osafo Marfo Probe

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Parent Category: Justice & Security

Category: Defence & Security

Created on Wednesday, 21 March 2012 20:18

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THE ECONOMIC and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has put on hold its investigations involving Yaw Osafo Marfo, former Minister for Education and Sports, pending a decision by an Accra High Court on an injunction filed against it by the former minister.

This was made known to the court by Philip Anderson, counsel for EOCO, when the case was called before Justice Dennis Adjei, a Court of Appeal judge sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court judge.

According to him, when he sought the view of his clients over whether or not to invite Mr. Osafo Marfo, they indicated that they were yet to complete investigations so in view of that, they would wait for the court’s decision.

Godfred Yeboah-Dame, Counsel for Osafo Marfo and Mr. Anderson did not make any oral submission but said they would rely on documents filed.

The trial judge adjourned the matter to March 28 for ruling.

Mr. Osafo Marfo took the EOCO to court over the Woyome saga to prevent the state investigative body from inviting him to assist in investigations relating to the payment of GH¢58.905, 974.13 judgment debt paid to Woyome on allegations of bias and prejudice.

The plaintiff is seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the crimes office from proceeding with investigations of fraud relating to the award and execution of contract.

The former minister wants a declaration that all the circumstances involving the payment of the colossal sum of GH¢58.905,974.13 to Alfred Woyome and the acts and utterances of the President as well as the Deputy Attorney-General (A-G) disable EOCO from acting in a manner which is fair and reasonable.

In his statement of case, the former Sports Minister stated that EOCO is a corporate body with power to investigate and on the authority of the A-G to prosecute serious financial or economic crimes against the Republic.

He said on June 30, 2011, the Auditor-General transmitted its report on Public Accounts of Ghana (Consolidated Funds) December 31 2010 and presented it to the speaker and it was subsequently laid before Parliament and later sent to the Public Accounts Committee.

According to him, the report contained the payment of the said sum by the Government of Ghana to Mr. Woyome, representing the government’s obligation under a consent judgment in which he sued the state.

The plaintiff said payment of that huge sum generated a public outcry as a result of which his Excellency, the President of Ghana and the Deputy A-G were compelled to make statement in the media accusing certain key personalities in the Kufuor Administration of negligence and wrongdoing which made the case against state indefensible.

Furthermore, he said the President, on various media networks, said Mr. Woyome was a wronged man and said the people of Ghana should rather question those whose actions had caused a breach of contract for the reconstruction of stadia for CAN 2008.

In addition, he noted that following public outcry, the President directed EOCO to commence investigations in the award and execution of the contract.

Source: Mary Anane/Daily Guide