Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana’s Department of Political Science, Dr Joshua Ebuntie Zaato, has alleged that the arrest of Dennis Miracles Aboagye by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) was intended to send a political message rather than serve a legitimate investigative purpose.
Speaking on Citi FM’s The Big Issue on Saturday July 18, Dr Zaato argued that the circumstances surrounding Mr Aboagye’s arrest suggested he was being used as an example to demonstrate political power.
“No matter how you dissect, bisect it, Miracles was picked up to be taught a political lesson, to be taught where power lies, and I think that we’ve gone beyond that as a country and democracy,” he said.
Dr Zaato maintained that Ghana’s democratic development should not allow state institutions to be used in ways that create the perception of political intimidation.
His comments come after Mr Aboagye, an aide to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2024 presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, was arrested by EOCO at the Kotoka International Airport upon his return from a trip abroad.
EOCO said the arrest is linked to ongoing investigations into alleged financial and procurement-related irregularities involving about GH¢55 million during Mr Aboagye’s tenure as Executive Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCCoD).
The former IMCCoD Executive Secretary was arrested alongside the Secretariat’s former accountant, Gerald Appiah, as part of the investigations.
Mr Aboagye has since been granted bail in the sum of GH¢50 million with three sureties, two of whom were required to be justified, after meeting the bail conditions.
His release followed criticism from his legal team, who described the bail conditions as excessive and difficult to satisfy.
Investigations into the alleged financial and procurement-related irregularities are ongoing, with EOCO expected to take further action based on the outcome of its inquiries.
