Investigation must not become punishment – OccupyGhana to EOCO, BNI

OccupyGhana has called on the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI) to respect due process in their investigations, warning that the exercise of investigative powers must not become a form of punishment.

The pressure group says account freezes, excessive bail conditions, travel restrictions and prolonged reporting requirements imposed on suspects before charges are filed raise concerns about the protection of constitutional rights.

In a press release issued on Wednesday, September 30, OccupyGhana maintained that the fight against corruption and economic crime must be pursued within the confines of the law.

“Investigation must not become punishment,” the group stated, insisting that allegations of wrongdoing must be properly investigated while the rights of persons under investigation are respected.

OccupyGhana cited several cases to illustrate its concerns, including the freezing of accounts belonging to Sesi-Edem Company Limited over a contractual dispute, the arrest of former National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Chief Executive Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba after a court had permitted him to travel for medical treatment, and the ongoing investigation involving Power Distribution Services (PDS) Ghana Ltd.

On the PDS case, the group said approximately 66 accounts belonging to the company and individuals linked to it had been frozen since April 2026. It further stated that bail conditions for two PDS officials were increased from GH¢50 million to GH¢100 million each within a week, although no charges had been filed against them.

The group also raised concerns over the reported detention of two lawyers who accompanied the PDS officials to the BNI, as well as claims that the lawyers’ personal and law-firm accounts were subsequently frozen.

According to OccupyGhana, the PDS officials and the lawyers have also reportedly been required to report to EOCO three times a week since May, with no charges filed in the matter as of the date of its statement.

While acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations being investigated, OccupyGhana argued that the nature of an allegation alone cannot justify indefinite restrictions or departures from constitutional safeguards.

It called on investigative agencies to charge suspects where sufficient evidence exists and lift restrictions where the evidence does not warrant prosecution. The group also urged authorities to ensure that bail conditions are reasonable and that persons detained are brought before a court within the constitutionally prescribed period.

OccupyGhana further called on the Attorney-General to review the use of freezing orders, agency-imposed bail and reporting conditions in ongoing investigations. It urged Parliament’s Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee and Defence and Interior Committee to scrutinise how EOCO and the BNI exercise their powers.

The group stressed that due process does not obstruct the fight against corruption but helps ensure that prosecutions are sustainable and the recovery of public funds is lawful.

“Where public money has been misapplied, misused or misappropriated, it must be recovered and those responsible prosecuted, regardless of political affiliation,” OccupyGhana said.

It added that investigative agencies must be held to the same legal standards they are expected to enforce, warning that disregarding those limits could undermine cases in court and erode public confidence in efforts to combat corruption.

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— CitiNewsRoom