Lead counsel for Dennis Miracles Aboagye, Samuel Atta Akyea, has dismissed claims that his client was interrogated by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) over alleged GH¢55 million financial and procurement-related irregularities.
According to the lawyer, the GH¢55 million matter mentioned in EOCO’s statement was never raised during Mr Aboagye’s engagement with investigators.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem morning show, Mr Atta Akyea said he was present throughout the interrogation and the issues discussed centred on procurement processes and contracts linked to priority projects.
“He was not interrogated concerning the charges contained in EOCO’s statement. I was there during the interrogation, and what transpired was about the procurement process and some contracts involving priority projects, which was about GH¢5 million,” he said.
The lawyer claimed that the issue involving the alleged GH¢55 million was unrelated to Mr Aboagye’s case and described its publication as misleading.
“The person who has accepted that he has taken money and is already paying is not even close to Miracles’ matter. They did not even ask him about any finance director. It was not part of the interrogation,” he stated.
Mr Atta Akyea suggested that linking Mr Aboagye to the GH¢55 million allegations was an attempt to create a negative public perception.
“I think it is just propaganda that is bad, and they put it out for the public,” he said.
He explained that EOCO informed them that they would be invited again for further discussions on other issues, but he was unsure whether those discussions would relate to the same matter or a different one.
“They said they will let us come back again and discuss any other issue. So whether that is the same issue or a different one, we don’t know because I did not even understand them,” he added.
The former Attorney General also criticised the decision to impose a GH¢50 million bail condition, describing it as excessive.
“If you don’t understand the law, then you bring something outrageous to accuse the person and then give the person a huge bail. To me, that is bad,” he said.
His comments come hours after Mr Aboagye regained his freedom on Tuesday, July 14, after meeting his GH¢50 million bail conditions following four days in EOCO custody.
EOCO, however, has maintained that Mr Aboagye’s 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 anti-graft agency has also confirmed the arrest of former IMCCoD accountant Gerald Appiah as investigations into the alleged infractions continue.
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