Seasoned journalist Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has registered his displeasure with the drama that transpired between the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) and the EC Deputy Commissioner, Georgina Opoku Amankwah.
Speaking on Peace FM's Kokrokoo, Mr. Baako condemned Counsels for the EC Deputy Commissioner for directing their client to return to office; an action that resulted in a needless public spectacle.
On Monday, January 15, 2018, the EOCO together with armed Police personnel entered the office of Mrs. Amankwah demanding her exit.
The woman refused to budge and therefore fixed herself firmly in her seat, telling the media present at her office she will only move out when her time to close work for the day is due.
Mrs. Amankwah, explaining her reason for returning to office, said she could not fathom why she alone was at home after being asked to proceed on leave by the EOCO, while all the Commissioners under investigation were still coming to work.
Addressing the issue, Mr. Baako disclosed that apparently the Counsel for Mrs. Amankwah had advised her to return to work because the EOCO failed to reach back to her after asking her to proceed on leave.
"She had been on leave for about seven months and she wasn't seeing any green light, therefore prompting her legal team to come to such a decision," he said.
Kweku Baako however questioned the decision of her legal team, wondering why they didn't resort to legal remedy to avoid the drama that occurred at their client's office.
According to him, the EC Deputy Commissioner and her legal team should have gone to court for the court to direct her to return to office or otherwise, but to have taken the decision by herself was unfortunate.
“At that point in time, was it too late to have gone to court to challenge that so-called leave for a court order to ask you to resume and to tell EOCO that what you did in July, 2017 had no grounds? So, indeed, it means the resumption is a natural cause of event…Was it too late in asking your client to resume duty with the option of going to court to get a court to give that order? Wouldn't that be a more commendable approach? So, why can’t we do things like that?” he asked.
Touching on the presence of the armed Police, Mr. Baako believed it was a precautionary measure by the EOCO to prevent any altercation between supporters of Mrs. Amankwah and that of the other Commissioners.
He stated that there are divisions among those who owe allegiance to each Commissioner and perhaps the Police might have armed themselves to avoid any violent scene.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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Did EOCO go to court before suspending her? Why did EOCO not go to court to get her removed from her office but decided to use force? EOCO needs to come to Modern Ghana. This is not leave! That is indefinate suspension!
see education drop-out teaching the world how to go about things they have not learnt. may be he has some common sense
'Wei nkoaaade, Kwaku, me ne wo nye adwen'! Why should EOCO suspend her in the first place? Does EOCO have such powers?
I don't think I understand some of the lawyers in this country. I suppose they learn and apply the rule of law, rights and respect for the law. The Ec Commissioner, I hear is a lawyer and she has other lawyers defending or supporting her. The behaviour of all of them is just like the "Delta Force' scenario. So what is the difference between those who have learned law and those who haven't? Why did the EOCo, EC Commissioner and her lawyers refuse to go to seek redress in the law courts?
@ nhyiraba, you hit the nail right on the head. This bogus EOCO is being run by ndc guys and nana addo and his government are just sleeping. It is what EOCO did that should rather be condemned. Who was that EOCO who led the armed police? He looked completely i-d-i-o-tic. They were there to embarrass the government. Has nana addo forgotten what the ec commissioner charlotte osei did to him and npp when they were in opposition. The government must take steps to fire the EOCO boss, as matter of urgency
but kwaku you should know that, making someone be on leave for 7 months on just speculation isnt the best. if EOCO is security organisation and had powers, i dont think they dont know is mischieve, what the counsels did was the best, prompt something and there will be a trigger and i think is the best strategy. if not, EOCO wouldnt have given that 2 weeks to release that "fake" report. they best is, if EOCO is investigating her of workers welfare and its not right, what of the allegation that the EC boss has awarded unapproved $5m contract. what of sulley who created 200 illegal polling stations?. dont let the state be run like in the dark days of mahama, let throw light to every isssue even our political opponents for such you give us the country we wish for, the usa, uk etc we always busy applying. if nana too fails, i cant trust bawumia and the lil guys to hold the future of the country for it will be a norm or normal for every administration to mismanage the country. ghana has gone too far wrong that, further by the akufo addo government will make a journey of no return