Accra, Oct. 1, GNA – OccupyGhana, a non-partisan citizens’ pressure group, has urged the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI) and other investigative bodies to ensure due process in economic-crime investigations.
It said investigative powers, including account freezes, arrests, bail conditions, travel restrictions and reporting requirements, should be exercised within the law and should not become punishment for persons under investigation.
In a statement issued in Accra, OccupyGhana said recent cases had raised concerns about the manner in which some investigative agencies exercised their powers.
It cited a 2026 High Court decision involving Sesi-Edem Company Limited, in which the Court found that EOCO had frozen the company’s accounts over a contractual dispute and acted outside its mandate.
The group also cited the arrest of former Chief Executive of the National Food and Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, at the airport in July 2026, days after the High Court had permitted him to travel for medical treatment.
OccupyGhana said concerns had also been raised over bail conditions imposed by investigative agencies, with reported amounts ranging from GH¢10 million to GH¢150 million.
It noted that a case was pending at the Supreme Court on whether security agencies had the authority to impose bail conditions without the courts.
The group said the investigation into Power Distribution Services (PDS) Ghana Ltd provided another example requiring public scrutiny.
According to the statement, EOCO froze about 66 accounts belonging to PDS and individuals linked to the company in April 2026, while the affected persons had alleged that some accounts belonging to businesses unrelated to PDS were also frozen.
It said two PDS officials were detained by the BNI and initially granted bail of GH¢50 million each, which was subsequently increased to GH¢100 million each within a week.
The group said two lawyers who accompanied their clients to the BNI were subsequently identified as persons of interest, detained overnight and granted bail of GH¢50 million each.
It said the lawyers had alleged that they were questioned about professional fees and that their personal and law-firm accounts were subsequently frozen.
OccupyGhana said the PDS officials and the two lawyers had also reportedly been required to report to EOCO three times a week since May, despite no charges having been filed.
It said PDS had filed an application for judicial review at the High Court on August 27, 2026, challenging aspects of the investigation, with a hearing date yet to be fixed.
The group said the State had alleged that the investigation concerned the transfer of GH¢850 million from a CalBank account allegedly belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
It said EOCO had also cited a Financial Intelligence Centre petition alleging fraud involving insurance guarantees, suspicious transactions and the risk of assets being dissipated.
PDS, however, contends in its judicial review application that an arbitral tribunal had rejected the guarantee allegation and that no charge had been filed.
OccupyGhana said the allegations were serious and should be properly investigated, but their seriousness should not, by itself, justify indefinite restrictions, excessive bail or departure from constitutional safeguards.
The group urged investigative agencies to charge suspects where sufficient evidence existed and release them where the evidence was insufficient to support continued restrictions.
It also urged the agencies to respect the right to counsel and ensure that lawyers were not subjected to punitive measures for representing clients under investigation.
On bail, OccupyGhana said courts should determine appropriate conditions that were reasonable, proportionate and capable of being met while securing the attendance of suspects.
It further called for account freezes to be used only where legally justified and necessary, saying they should not extend to unrelated accounts or continue indefinitely.
The group urged the courts to deal expeditiously with pending cases, including the PDS judicial review and the Supreme Court action concerning agency-imposed bail.
It also called on Parliament’s Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee and Defence and Interior Committee to scrutinise the exercise of investigative powers by EOCO and the BNI.
OccupyGhana further urged the Attorney-General, as the Minister responsible for EOCO, to review the use of freezing orders, agency-imposed bail and reporting conditions in ongoing investigations and respond publicly to petitions and correspondence before the Office.
The group said its position was based principally on court records and information in the public domain, adding that it was not a party to any of the matters cited and that whether an offence had been committed was a matter for the courts to determine.
It said its objective was to ensure that the fight against corruption was conducted within the law and that constitutional rights were protected in the process.
GNA
Edited by Beatrice Asamani Savage