NPP trounces EOCO report, insists it's a cover-up for Mills and his men

The opposition New Patriotic Party has rejected the interim report of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) on the Woyome saga.

The party says the report only confirms the party's reservations that the EOCO investigation was only meant to be “simply a smoke screen, charade, and a calculated attempt to cover up the involvement of the President, some of his Ministers and other Government officials in this sordid affair.”

A statement signed by NPP chairman, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey and issued Tuesday said the “EOCO was, and still is the wrong forum to investigate this matter if the truth should be revealed.”

Among other reasons for rejecting the report, the party says it is reliably informed that from the same Woyome bank account, from which EOCO identified the payment of GHC400, 000.00 to the wife of the Chief State Attorney, other payments of equal if not more pronounced importance were made.

These payments, according to the party, were made to “high-ranking Government officials and prominent NDC Executives,” and it is not surprised the Report is quiet on those payments, since from the outset it was an orchestrated attempt to cover up organised official corruption of proportions never witnessed before in the history of our dear Nation.

Below is the statement by the NPP
RESPONSE TO INTERIM REPORT OF ECONOMIC AND ORGANISED CRIME OFFICE (EOCO)ON WOYOME SAGA BY THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY

On Thursday 2nd February 2012, the Executive Secretary of the EOCO presented what he termed as an 'Interim Report' to President John Evans Atta Mills.

After reviewing the Report, we regret to note that it clearly confirms our initial reservation about the participation of EOCO in this matter. To reiterate our earlier position, we stated in our statement of 10th January 2012, that the by the President to EOCO to intervene in the matter was simply a smoke screen, charade, and a calculated attempt to cover up the involvement of the President, some of his Ministers and other Government officials in this sordid affair.

It is our considered opinion that EOCO was, and still is the wrong forum to investigate this matter if the truth should be revealed. Even to the casual observer, the EOCO Report cannot be taken seriously, and when subjected to critical analysis it collapses like a pack of cards. The Report is made up of half-truths, inherent contradictions, inconsistencies, lies, unfounded innuendos and baseless speculation.

We totally reject the Report, for amongst other things, the following reasons.

1. Whilst the President has publicly pronounced his ignorance of the whole affair, we are suddenly told by EOCO that he intervened and even sought to stop payments to Woyome. However, the Report is silent on critical questions such as:

• WHEN DID THE PRESIDENT KNOW OF THE ILLEGAL PAYMENT?

• WHO TOLD THE PRESIDENT ABOUT THE ILLEGAL PAYMENT?

• HOW DID THE PRESIDENT ATTEMPT TO STOP THE ILLEGAL PAYMENT?

• WHOM DID THE PRESIDENT INSTRUCT NOT TO HONOUR THE ILLEGAL PAYMENT?

• WHAT DID THE PRESIDENT DO WHEN THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE IGNORED?

2. We have reliable information that from the same ill-gotten Woyome bank account, from which EOCO identified the payment of GHC400, 000.00 to the wife of the Chief State Attorney, other payments of equal if not more pronounced importance were made. These payments were made to high-ranking Government officials and prominent NDC Executives. We are not surprised that the Report is quiet on these payments, since from the outset it was an orchestrated attempt to cover up organised official corruption of proportions never witnessed before in the history of our dear Nation.

At the appropriate time we shall present to the people of Ghana a detailed analysis of this apology of a report.

Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey
(National Chairman)