Miracles Aboagye disputes GH¢55m claim in EOCO probe

The Communications Director at the Office of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Flagbearer, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has challenged reports linking his recent arrest by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to an alleged GH¢55 million financial irregularity, insisting that investigators are questioning him over transactions amounting to about GH¢9 million and another GH¢5000, with a procurement issue involving GH¢5.2 million.

Mr Aboagye, who previously served as Executive Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCCoD), clarified during an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosiisen programme on Tuesday, July 21.

His comments follow his arrest by EOCO as part of investigations into alleged financial improprieties connected with his tenure at the IMCCoD.https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1878975286777598%2F&show_text=true&width=560&t=0

Addressing the controversy surrounding the figures associated with the investigation, Mr Aboagye maintained that the amounts circulating publicly do not reflect the issues raised by investigators.

“I am being questioned over about GH¢9 million, not the GH¢55 million amount circulating in the public domain. The story of my arrest and, subsequently, my house in the public was put out by EOCO for reasons best known to them,” he stated.

He explained that the original concerns related to approximately GH¢9 million and GH¢5,000, but alleged that the amount was subsequently revised upward during the investigative process.

“It was GH¢9 million and GH¢5,000.”

According to him, the amount was later increased to GH¢20 million, a development he said he found difficult to understand.

“Yet, miraculously, under some strange circumstances, EOCO, even writing on the back of the petition from the IMCC, still inflated this GH¢9 million to GH¢20 million.”

Mr Aboagye criticised what he described as inconsistencies in the figures attributed to the investigation, saying such actions could undermine public confidence in state institutions.

“For an organisation like EOCO, you don’t do that to your citizens with such figures.”

He further questioned the origin of the widely reported GH¢55 million figure, saying he sought clarification from EOCO officials.

“I asked about the origin of the GH¢55 million that was put out by EOCO officials, and they told me they didn’t put out that figure in the public domain.”

Maintaining that the IMCCoD never controlled such an amount, Mr Aboagye rejected suggestions that the alleged irregularities involved GH¢55 million.

“In fact, there cannot be any GH¢55 million because the organisation had no GH¢55 million.”

He said the specific procurement-related issue under investigation concerns GH¢5.2 million, describing it as a matter involving procurement procedures rather than missing funds.

“GH¢5.2 million is the figure over which EOCO has an issue with me.”

He added:

“GH¢5.2 million in terms of procurement — all of that are processes. But the organisation didn’t even have such an amount.”

EOCO is yet to publicly respond to Mr Aboagye’s latest claims. The Office has been investigating alleged financial irregularities linked to the IMCCoD, while the matter continues to attract significant public and political attention.

The investigation forms part of ongoing efforts by state anti-corruption agencies to probe alleged financial improprieties involving former public officials. The outcome of the investigations will determine whether any criminal charges are filed.