Miracles Aboagye pledges cooperation with EOCO

Dennis Miracles Aboagye, a former Executive Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCCoD), has pledged to cooperate fully with the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) as it investigates alleged financial and procurement irregularities involving about GH¢55 million. Mr Aboagye, who is an aide to New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, said he would make himself available whenever investigators require his presence but declined to discuss the substance of the allegations while the investigation remains ongoing. “Whenever EOCO needs me, I’ll go. And I’ll go and have conversations,” he said in an interview with Umaru Sanda on Channel One TV’s Face to Face on Tuesday, August 11.

He maintained that it would be inappropriate for him to publicly discuss matters that are still under investigation and urged anyone seeking details about the case to direct their questions to EOCO. “I don’t want to comment on this. I think that, in all fairness, if you have any questions, you can direct them to EOCO,” he said. Mr Aboagye also declined to say whether he or former IMCCoD accountant Gerald Appiah had been asked to refund any money allegedly misused in connection with the committee. Asked whether he had been directed to repay any funds, he said he was not in a position to provide an answer. “Anybody that has anything to know should ask the right people. You’re asking the wrong person,” he said.

He also rejected suggestions that his refusal to comment reflected fear over the investigation, explaining that he was consciously avoiding public discussions that could interfere with or compromise the ongoing process. According to him, making detailed public statements at this stage could result in the disclosure of information that investigators may not yet want made public. “It’s unnecessary for you to have a conversation around a matter that EOCO says they are investigating. I may even be giving out information that I’m not supposed to give up,” he said.

Mr Aboagye further stressed that he had extensive experience in public life and knew the appropriate setting in which to respond to questions concerning the allegations. “I’ve done this for 23 years. This is not where to tell the truth. I know where to tell the truth,” he said. The former IMCCoD executive secretary also declined to confirm whether EOCO had formally charged him or whether he had been designated a suspect in the investigation. When asked directly about his status, he responded: “I don’t know. Ask EOCO. I don’t know.” His comments come after the High Court on August 3 granted an order sought in connection with EOCO’s investigation, freezing five bank accounts and placing restrictions on four landed properties linked to him.

The order prevents transactions involving the affected accounts and restricts the sale, transfer, mortgage or other disposal of the properties until further orders of the court. The restrictions form part of EOCO’s efforts to preserve assets while its investigation into suspected financial wrongdoing proceeds. The probe also centres on alleged financial and procurement irregularities at IMCCoD during Mr Aboagye’s tenure as Executive Secretary. The investigation followed a forensic audit of the Secretariat covering the period from August 1, 2022, to February 2, 2025.

Meanwhile, EOCO in July disclosed that Mr Aboagye, Mr Appiah and other individuals were being investigated over suspected offences including the alleged misappropriation, misapplication, diversion and theft of public funds. The amount at the centre of the investigation is approximately GH¢55 million. No final determination of criminal liability has been made against Mr Aboagye or any other person named in the investigation.

For now, Mr Aboagye says he will allow the investigative process to run its course and will respond whenever EOCO formally requires his cooperation. His position signals a decision to keep the details of the case out of the public domain while investigators continue examining the financial transactions and procurement activities under scrutiny.

By Joyce Owusu