SOME anti-corruption institutions have called for the support of civil society organisations (CSOs) and the media to recover assets stolen through corruption.
They said corruption could be brought to the barest minimum in the country through the support of all citizens including the media and CSOs.
They are the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
The institutions made the call at a day's sensitisation workshop to deepen public understanding and strengthen the role of CSOs and the media in advancing Ghana's asset recovery efforts.
Organised by the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) with support from the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), it was also to provide insights into the mandates of these state institutions.
EOCO
The Acting Head of Legal and Prosecution, EOCO, Leo Anthony Siamah, who addressed the workshop, disclosed that the EOCO recovered GH¢279 million in asset recovery efforts, with GH¢79 million and GH¢200 million being recovered in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
He said the agency also seized or restrained over 60 stolen vehicles in the past three years, with nine court orders secured so far.
Mr Siamah highlighted the need for a strengthened legal framework to support swift asset recovery, citing the sophistication of criminals and the importance of timely action.
He stated that a more robust legal framework would ensure that EOCO could effectively track, freeze and confiscate stolen assets, ultimately depriving criminals of their illicit gains.
He said EOCO has joined the Asset Recovery Interagency Network for West Africa, a group with representation around the world, to enhance its capacity to track, freeze, and confiscate stolen assets.
"The aim for us to join an organisation like this to facilitate what we do is very important," he said.
Mandate
An Analyst with the FIC, Yvette Anthea Owusu, said the FIC plays a vital role in the fight against money laundering and other crimes while collaborating with other agencies, such as the EOCO and the police to combat financial crimes.
She mentioned some of the key responsibilities of the FIC as receiving suspicious transaction reports and other information relevant to predicate offences from accountable institutions, such as banks and non-financial businesses, analysing received reports and disseminating actionable intelligence to competent authorities such as law enforcement agencies, to support investigations and prosecutions.
The Director of Asset Recovery and Management, OSP, Albert Akurugu, said the mandate of the OSP is, among others, to recover proceeds of corruption and corruption-related offences, and manage seized assets to prevent further illicit activities.
