Legal practitioner and New Patriotic Party (NPP) communicator, Kwesi Botchwey Jr., has accused the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) of using its powers to intimidate political opponents.
His comments follow the arrest and continued detention of Dennis Miracles Aboagye, an aide to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and an aspirant for the NPP's National Communications Director position.
Miracles Aboagye was arrested at the Accra International Airport on Saturday, July 11, upon his return from a trip abroad.
EOCO, in its statement, said Miracles Aboagye and former IMCCoD Accountant Gerald Appiah are being investigated over suspected offences including conspiracy to steal, stealing, causing financial loss to the state, money laundering and other alleged financial crimes involving about GH¢55 million.
On Monday, July 13, he was granted bail of GH¢50 million with three sureties, two of whom must be justified, a condition he has yet to satisfy.
Speaking on Accra-based TV3's New Day programme on Tuesday, July 14, Lawyer Botchwey rejected suggestions that the bail amount was justified because it corresponded with the value of the money under investigation.
"Bail is not a debt recovery mechanism. The essence of bail, or the reason why bail is stipulated in our laws, is to secure the attendance of the suspect in court, and therefore, the amount of money involved in an alleged crime does not automatically determine the bail bond," he said.
He described any argument linking the bail amount to the alleged sum involved in the case as legally flawed. He maintained that such reasoning misrepresents the purpose of bail under Ghana's criminal justice system.
Lawyer Botchwey further alleged that EOCO's actions formed part of a broader scheme of targeting members of the political opposition.
"The point still remains the same. EOCO is intimidating political opponents. It has happened time without number. We have seen it... They are using bail as a punitive measure to punish people even before trial," he asserted.
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