The National Youth Organiser of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Salam Mustapha, has criticised the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) over the arrest of the party’s communications team member, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, accusing the agency of acting under political influence.

The comments followed a protest by NPP supporters at the EOCO headquarters in Accra on Monday, July 13, demanding the immediate release of Mr Aboagye, who is also spokesperson for former Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

Mr Aboagye was reportedly arrested on Saturday at the Accra International Airport by EOCO officers with the assistance of personnel from the Ghana Immigration Service.

Speaking to the media during the protest, Mr Salam Mustapha questioned the circumstances surrounding the arrest and accused EOCO of taking instructions from unnamed authorities.

“When you go into the offices right now and ask them anything, they will tell you, ‘Order from above,’” he alleged.

The NPP youth organiser also criticised EOCO Executive Director Raymond Archer, arguing that the agency’s inability to provide immediate answers on the matter raised concerns about the protection of citizens’ rights.

“They will tell you that Raymond is not there. So Raymond goes to sleep, and when he feels like coming to work, before he comes to work, somebody’s freedom and liberty are at stake,” he said.

Mr Mustapha questioned whether such developments reflected the democratic principles Ghana seeks to uphold.

“Is that the kind of democracy we are building in this country?” he asked.

He further questioned whether state institutions could be controlled by political actors, suggesting that such actions could have consequences for those in power.

“If the NDC loses an election today, when he’s going home, is he going to take the whole EOCO building to his house?” he asked.

“Then he should take EOCO and take it to his house the day the NDC loses an election,” he added.

Mr Mustapha described the situation as unacceptable and called for what he termed a fair and transparent handling of Mr Aboagye’s case.

“This nonsense has just gone beyond comprehension. It’s become too much,” he said.

EOCO has confirmed Mr Aboagye’s arrest over alleged financial and procurement irregularities involving about GH¢55 million at the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCCoD). The office has, however, denied any political motive and said investigations are being conducted professionally and within the law.

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