EOCO forcibly 'ejects' Deputy EC Commissioner from office

Zadok K. Gyesi Jan - 15 - 2018 , 16:49

Officials from the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) Monday afternoon stormed the office of the Deputy Chairperson in Charge of Corporate Services at the Electoral Commission (EC), Mrs Georgina Opoku Amankwaa with live TV cameras.

The incident, which was broadcast live on the United Television network popularly known as UTV, saw Mrs Opoku-Amankwaa arguing with the EOCO officials.

EOCO in a letter dated, July 4, 2017 addressed to the EC Chairperson, Mrs Charlotte Osei, demanded that Mrs Opoku-Amankwaa and three other senior staff of the EC proceed on leave to pave way for investigations into “the loss of about GH¢480,000 from the Endowment Fund at the Electoral Commission.”

She was accused of misapplication of staff endowment funds at the EC, hence EOCO stepping into the matter.
Mrs Opoku-Amankwaa, however, has denied the accusations.

There was uneasy calm at the EC last year over the staff endowment fund, when some staff who have retired and did not receive their payments promptly raised red flags whilst others said they received something lesser than what they were entitled to.

There were some explanations that the funds had been invested and that it had to mature before payments could be made.

It is still unclear what triggered Monday’s move by EOCO with live TV cameras to the deputy commissioner’s office.

The entire leadership of the EC is currently facing a probe set up by the Chief Justice, following a petition to President Akufo-Addo by a number of staff for their removal from office.

Compromise

Lawyer Adu Poku, counsel for the embattled Deputy Commissioner, Mrs Opoku-Amankwaa, later told journalists that his client has agreed with the EOCO officials to stay at home for the next 14 days during which they expect EOCO to produce a report of its findings from a probe into the accusations, detailing her culpability or otherwise.

It is unclear however, what will happen after the 14 days should EOCO fail to produce the said report from investigations it claims it to have completed.

Earlier during the standoff, Mrs Opoku-Amankwaa had questioned why her other colleague, Amadu Sulley, Deputy Commissioner in-charge of Operations was allowed to attend his duties while she was being asked to stay away from the office.