Dennis Miracles Aboagye, an aide to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2024 presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has been released from the custody of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) after meeting his GH¢50 million bail conditions.
Mr. Aboagye was arrested by EOCO at the Accra International Airport upon his return from a trip abroad.
According to EOCO, the arrest forms part of ongoing investigations into alleged financial and procurement-related irregularities involving about GH¢55 million during his tenure as Executive Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCCoD).
The allegations, which investigators are probing, relate to suspected financial improprieties and procurement breaches at the Secretariat. Mr. Aboagye has not been convicted of any offence, and the investigations remain ongoing.
The former IMCCoD Executive Secretary was arrested alongside the Secretariat’s former accountant, Gerald Appiah, as part of EOCO’s investigations into the alleged infractions.
His release came after he fulfilled the conditions attached to a GH¢50 million bail bond, despite concerns raised by his legal team over what they described as stringent and difficult-to-meet requirements.
Speaking to journalists at EOCO’s headquarters following his client’s arrest, lead counsel Samuel Atta Akyea questioned the practicality of the bail terms, which required three sureties, two of whom had to be justified.
“How is he going to be released? How is he going to post the bail bonds? GH¢50 million, three sureties, two to be justified. How can it be met? Where are you going to find properties worth GH¢50 million and finding it tonight?” Mr. Atta Akyea asked.
EOCO has indicated that investigations into the alleged GH¢55 million financial and procurement-related irregularities are ongoing. The agency is expected to determine its next course of action based on the outcome of its inquiries.
