EOCO Boss visits Eastern Region
The Executive Director of Economic and Organized Crime Office, (COP) Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah on Friday 29th April 2022 paid a one-day official vbahrainisit to the Eastern Regional Capital, Koforidua.
The visit to the Region was the first since she was appointed into her new portfolio by His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on 5th January 2022.
The Executive Director paid a courtesy call on the following: the Eastern Regional Minister: Hon. Seth Acheampong, GRA – the Head/Tax Payers Service Centre, Dr. Okine, NIB Regional Commander, Mr. Panyin Ankobeah, Chief State Attorney at the Attorney General’s Regional Office and the Eastern Regional Police Commander.
The visit was to strengthen the existing relationship between the aforementioned state own institutions.
Discussions centered on the need for the said stakeholders to collaborate more and share relevant information in the fight against economic crimes.
Receiving Maame Tiwaa and her entourage to his office,the Eastern Regional Minister congratulated her on her new portfolio as the new and first female Executive Director of EOCO.
Speaking at the closed door meeting, the Eastern Regional minister Hon. Seth Acheampong indicated that no single individual or institution can achieve a set goal unless they work together as a team.
He added that working together would help each institution achieve its mandate. He assured the Executive Director of EOCO of his readiness to assist the Eastern Regional Office – EOCO in any endeavour. He also expressed his gratitude to her and her entourage for the visit and expressed the hope that, this will go a long way to deepen and sustain the relationship between the institutions
COP Maame Yaa Tiwaah Addo-Danquah, on her part stated that the support received from the Ghana Police Service and other institutions over the years cannot be understated.
She also calls for public co-operation in providing information on suspected criminals.
According to her, collaboration helps ease workload and speed up investigations.
“Every crime prevention; crime investigation; crime detection depends on the information that we have. Those people who do bad things, they live with us. We attend church with them; we go to market with them. Some of them we know very well.”
“The public must give such information to either EOCO or police or to any law enforcement agency so that we all work together and ensure that we get to them and stop them from doing it in the first place.”
COP Tiwaa Addo-Danquah urged the public to have realistic expectations of the EOCO as it works relentlessly to fulfill one of its mandates: crime prevention.
Established as a specialised intelligence-led law enforcement agency, EOCO investigates economic and organised crimes.
The Eastern Regional Director, Elizabeth Amonoowa Buckman(SSO) on her part reiterated their commitment towards making Ghana a safe haven for investors and the business community.
According to her, EOCO can only carry out its duty of crime investigation, prosecution and prevention if it has public support.
She told the media that receiving crucial information about criminal intents, plans, and activities is enough to prevent them from committing crimes.
The Office has the authority of the Attorney General to prosecute economic and organised crimes cases.
With offices in the regional capitals, members of the public can report crime by showing up physically at the offices or online.
The mandate of EOCO is very broad, not only to detect, prevent and confiscate the proceeds of crime into government coffers and on the advice of the Attorney Generate prosecute the offender. ” she said.
“For instance, some people have registered their trade at Registrar Gen’s Dept, have Business operating Permit but not registered with GRA as tax payers. The office ensures that GRA registered them under the tax monitoring exercise currently going in the Eastern Region. Due to the tax monitoring exercise most hotels, hostels, corporate entities who have tax liabilities are rushing to pay at the GRA Offices within the Eastern Region.
As part of our effort to meet our set target for the year 2022, small and medium shop owners are being educated on the need to pay personal income tax and corporate tax for more development by the government. Accordingly to Mad. Elizabeth Amonoowa Buckman(SSO).
The Eastern Regional Office EOCO would continue to move out more to ensure that all personal and corporate tax liabilities are paid to GRA. The tax monitoring exercise on hostels, hotels, small and medium shops has indeed yielded a positive result. she stated.
The Eastern Regional Office would be engaging the public more on tax, registration of genuine business, money laundering, cyber crime/fraud and property rate payment.
The public needs more education on the mandate of EOCO and know that government relies on these payments for infrastructures, development of communities and districts and the nation as a whole.” she added.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Evans Boateng
