EOCO must exercise its powers transparently to preserve public trust — Kwaku Azar

Legal scholar and social commentator Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, popularly known as Kwaku Azar, has called on the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to exercise its statutory powers with greater transparency to strengthen public confidence in law enforcement.

His comments follow the reported arrest of Dennis Miracles Aboagye, an aide to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, at the Accra International Airport on Sunday, July 12.

Despite widespread public interest in the case and widespread speculations, EOCO is yet to publicly confirm or deny the arrest or disclose the reasons behind it.

Reacting in a social media post on Monday, Prof. Azar said while EOCO has broad legal powers to investigate and arrest persons suspected of economic and organised crimes, the manner in which those powers are exercised is equally important in a constitutional democracy.

"...in a constitutional democracy, the existence of the power is only half the story. The equally important question is how that power is exercised," he wrote.

The legal scholar argued that every arrest should be accompanied by basic constitutional safeguards, including informing the suspect of the reasons for the arrest, granting prompt access to legal counsel, maintaining accurate custody records, notifying family members where appropriate, and either releasing the suspect or presenting them before a court within the constitutionally prescribed period.

He further asserted that, as a general rule, law enforcement agencies should issue a prompt public statement confirming an arrest without compromising ongoing investigations.

"Public notification is not about trying the case in the media; it is about demonstrating that the State is exercising its coercive powers openly, lawfully, and accountably," he stated.

According to Kwaku Azar, transparent arrest procedures help prevent law enforcement actions from being politicised while reinforcing confidence in the justice system.