Former Member of Parliament for Anyaa Sowutuom, Dr. Dickson Adomako Kissi, has called for a comprehensive rebranding and depoliticisation of the Economic and Organised Office (EOCO), arguing that the institution’s credibility has eroded over time.
Dr. Adomako Kissi made these remarks during a panel discussion on Breakfast Daily, a current affairs programme on Channel One TV, on Wednesday, May 14.
His comments come in the wake of criminal charges brought against Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, former Board Chair of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), who has been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime—specifically, wilfully causing financial loss to the state.
The case centres on a $2 million payment made in 2019 to Africa Investor Holdings Limited for a proposed Sky Train project in Accra, which never materialised.
Expressing concern over EOCO’s public image, Adomako Kissi said the agency’s perceived political bias has diminished its effectiveness and called for immediate reforms.
“Unfortunately, EOCO has been tainted, and unfortunately, they need to repackage and rebrand themselves as a non-political entity, and I think that if they do that, invariably a lot of us will be more comfortable when we hear that EOCO is examining something. And you will not see the case go to court because there are appropriate checks and balances that even what the person accusing has to do has been done,” he said.
He also criticised the agency’s investigative processes, alleging that some individuals—including his former parliamentary colleagues—had been wrongly summoned due to inadequate background checks by EOCO.
“It shouldn’t be the case that all of us or any of us can just accuse and damage reputations because somebody failed to do their homework. Some of my colleagues have been called to EOCO only for them to realise that the people at EOCO were clueless, and they were calling the wrong people about the ‘crime’,” he stated.
Dr. Adomako Kissi further emphasised the need for experienced and competent professionals to lead investigations within EOCO, suggesting that some matters could be resolved without resorting to court proceedings.
“This is the problem that I have, that we need to have very skilled professional people and hold them to standards. I beg to differ from the Attorney General that some of these things do not necessarily need a court hearing, but rather in the Attorney General’s office, people who are equipped and very knowledgeable,” he added.