Ghana: Eoco to Appeal Against Ruling

David Tagoe

17 May 2011

Last Friday’s ruling by an Accra Human Rights Court to the effect that the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has no locus to investigate the Ghana Football Association (GFA), a lot of opinions have been expressed in reaction to the verdict.

The latest of such reactions is the one from the counsel for EOCO, Dr. Anderson, who says they are in the process of filing an appeal against the ruling.

Last December, EOCO officials raided the offices of the Ghana Football Association, having secured the mandate to conduct a search at the offices of the football federation. In the process, EOCO officials carried away office equipment from the GFA, arguing the equipment contained information useful to their exercise.

Indignant at the conduct of the EOCO officials, the GFA filed a writ against EOCO, seeking some reliefs.

After a few months of hearing, last Friday, the Accra Human Rights Court ruled that the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) had no legal standing to investigate the Ghana Football Association (GFA), predicating the ruling on the fact that the GFA is a private entity.

In addition to that, the court also ruled that the seizure of documents and computers at the offices of the GFA constituted abuse of power and a violation of the rights of the GFA. As a result, the court, presided over by Mr. Justice U.P. Dery, ordered EOCO to pay the GFA GH ¢50,000 in damages and a further costs of GH ¢9,000.

It gave the ruling after studying the application for enforcement of the fundamental human rights filed by the GFA and the affidavit in opposition by EOCO.

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