Interior Ministry assigned responsibility for intelligence agencies

President John Mahama has placed all the country's intelligence agencies under the Interior Ministry.

A directive to that effect, addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, was read to members of Parliament on Thursday.

"I hereby assign ministerial responsibility for the intelligence agencies to the Ministry of the Interior with immediate effect,” the directive said.

With that directive, the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), the National Security Agency and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) cease to be under the office of the Attorney-General.

Minority suspicious

But some members of the Minority have questioned the propriety of the move, saying it takes away the relative independence of the agencies and creates room for some level of manipulation by the government.

The member for Sunyani East, Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh, said the directive could result in the agencies being compromised.