EOCO picks up 4 ISD staff over fraudulent withdrawals

he Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) has arrested four staff of the Information Services Department (ISD) for unauthorized withdrawals of cash from the department’s accounts.

The four, including immediate past Director, Noel Actorn Tetteh are said to have withdrawn the money without the authorization of the new Director, Francis Arthur.

Also, the Director of Budget, Director of Finance and Administration and one other staff were also among those arrested.

The four are said to have connived and signed cheques for the withdrawal of GHC142, 000 from the department’s coffers without the approval of the new director who took over last month.

The money was mean for the payment of staff allowances.

The immediate past Director of the ISD, Mr. Tetteh, is said to have authorized the payments at a time when his retirement had taken effect.

Upon taking over office, the new director invited the EOCO to investigate the withdrawals, which led to the arrest of the four.

EOCO says Mr. Tetteh authorized the withdrawal with criminal intent and acted in breach of regulations governing financial transactions at the Department.

Mr. Tetteh has been released on bail and is expected to report to security personnel daily while the other three are still being held by EOCO for further investigations.

EOCO is also questioning them over other transactions on the department’s accounts within the transition period.

Meanwhile, Deputy Communications Minister, Ato Sarpong, has told Joy News no money had been lost as the staff who withdrew the cash had been made to pay it back into the department’s account.

Joy News has learnt there is uneasy calm at the department over the freeze in payment of the allowances as a result of the EOCO investigations.

Mr. Sarpong says the new director’s decision to invite EOCO to investigate the withdrawals was a good step.