A social and political non-partisan pressure group, OccupyGhana, has challenged the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI) and other investigative bodies to stop turning investigations into punishment, warning that prolonged restrictions on liberty and property without criminal charges raise serious concerns in a constitutional democracy.
The group said recent cases involving account freezes, agency-imposed bail, travel restrictions, reporting requirements and arrests required greater scrutiny.
In a statement issued in the public interest, OccupyGhana said the fight against corruption and economic crime must be pursued strictly within the law.
“Fight corruption through the law, not around it,” the group said, insisting that investigative agencies must themselves be held to the legal standards they are mandated to enforce.
OccupyGhana cited a 2026 High Court ruling involving Sesi-Edem Company Limited as an example of what it considers excessive use of investigative powers.
The High Court ordered the unfreezing of the company’s accounts after ruling that EOCO had acted outside its statutory mandate in a matter arising from a contractual dispute.
The group said the ruling should prompt wider scrutiny of how economic-crime agencies use their powers to restrict the property and liberty of persons under investigation.
PDS investigation
OccupyGhana also raised concerns about the ongoing investigation into Power Distribution Services (PDS) Ghana Limited.
According to the group, about 66 accounts belonging to PDS and individuals associated with the company have been frozen since April 2026. It further claimed that bail for two suspects was increased from GH¢50 million to GH¢100 million each within a week, while no charges had been filed against them five months into the investigation.
The group also questioned the detention of lawyers who accompanied their clients to the BNI.
The lawyers’ firm, Minkah-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline and Partners, previously alleged that the lawyers went to the BNI to represent their clients, but were instead treated as persons of interest, interrogated and detained.
The firm said the lawyers were subsequently granted bail of GH¢50 million each and alleged that their personal and law-firm accounts were frozen.
EOCO Executive Director, Raymond Archer, however, rejected the suggestion that the lawyers were arrested merely because they were representing their clients.
Mr Archer said the lawyers had themselves been invited as suspects in the investigation, which he said was being conducted jointly by EOCO and the BNI.
Airport arrest
OccupyGhana also cited the arrest of former National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Chief Executive, Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, at the Accra International Airport.
Mr Abdul-Wahab’s lawyers accused the state and the BNI of violating a High Court order that had permitted their client to travel to the United Kingdom for medical treatment.
The lawyers said the court had granted permission for him to travel, but that he was arrested at the airport before his departure.
The Attorney-General’s side, however, maintained that Mr Abdul-Wahab had been arrested over an alleged attempt to use false means to access funds in a frozen bank account and indicated that it would seek a review of the order permitting his travel.
OccupyGhana said the case further demonstrated the need for investigative agencies to exercise their powers within the limits imposed by the Constitution and the courts.
‘Our method has always been the law’
OccupyGhana stressed that its criticism should not be interpreted as opposition to investigations into corruption or economic crime.
The group recalled its successful Supreme Court action that compelled the Auditor-General to disallow and surcharge unlawful expenditure, saying public funds that had been misapplied, misused or misappropriated must be recovered and those responsible prosecuted, regardless of political affiliation.
“Our method has always been the law. We, therefore, hold the agencies responsible for fighting economic crime to the same standard,” it said.
The group called for investigations to result in prosecution where evidence supports criminal charges and for restrictions to be lifted where the evidence does not justify their continuation.
OccupyGhana said its statement was based principally on court records and information already in the public domain and stressed that it was not a party to any of the matters discussed.
It also acknowledged that whether an offence had been committed remained a matter for the courts to determine.
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