My Epistle to EOCO, others, on the activities of financial cyber fraudsters

On behalf of the poor masses who are gradually being reduced to mere source of power to the political elites and their allies, I chronicle this letter to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and other intelligence security agencies.

COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, before I pour my heart on the activities of the financial cyber fraudsters who have been blackmailing, harassing and extorting the already burdened, poor Ghanaian tax payers, permit me to tell you that I am one of the few citizens who defended you when you were the head of Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service. This is just to inform you that I am one of the few Ghanaians who believe in you and want you to succeed in your new position.

COP Maame Tiwaa, I am sorry to state this time around that when your critics open fire on you concerning the activities of a gang of financial cyber fraudsters who have designed loan apps and are using them to extort their poor Ghanaian victims, I would not be able to defend you.

Since the institution you serve is a Public Service body, I am not the person to tell you about the existence of these criminals and how they operate: you are supposed to know. I am rather going to tell you how your failure to clamp on them is affecting the poor Ghanaian tax payers, whose political sovereignty contributed to your elevation to the position you currently occupy.

As I have already indicated, EOCO and Cybercrime Unit & Digital Forensic Laboratory of the Ghana Police Service are supposed to be aware of the operations of these entities because they are operating in the same public space with you.

Permit me to digress to let you and other intelligence agencies understand why issues affecting the poor Ghanaian must equally be taken seriously by the government and its agencies. In the wake of the economic crises, the finance minister took a decision to involve the poor Ghanaians in government's effort to revive the economy. I am referring to the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) in this case.

The political class and their allies have all the money and businesses in the country. Nevertheless, they did not volunteer to inject their capital into the economy since they enjoy the largest share of the country's resources, including your protection. I am referring to all political actors in this case, that is, those in government and opposition.

It is therefore, painful when state agencies including your outfit, fail to show interest in issues that militate against the welfare of the poor Ghanaian who is called upon in times of crises to sacrifice for the nation. This gross neglect of the interest of the poor masses in times of their predicament is the very reason why political parties who have introduced good policies and doing their best to govern to protect the poor lose elections.

The poor Ghanaians who are being blackmailed, harassed and extorted by these loan apps are very much aware that the very day these criminals will invade the territories of banks, EOCO and other intelligence agencies will act. This alone provokes them against you and the President who appointed you.

Let me digress again to inform you that most of the scrap dealers you see on the streets of Accra and Kumasi have tertiary education and at least know the functions of all state institutions and how they are faring. Some of them are trained nurses so they are not that dumb as we may take them for. They also know why institutions like your outfit has ignored the poor victims to suffer in the hands of these cyber criminals. Unfortunately, However, they will not blame EOCO for their pain; they will rather blame President Akufo-Addo because he appointed you. I am sure you know what that means.

Maame Tiwaa, I pray you just don’t casually read the words of the author, but also try and digest his tone, which matters most. Also, remember you don't need anybody, including the author to investigate and clamp on these criminals.

May you also appreciate the need to invest state resources in protecting the poor Ghanaian tax payer in the same manner you do for the political class and their allies?

The author is an essayist and a social commentator.

Bala Ali