The High Court in Accra has confirmed an order freezing five bank accounts and four landed properties belonging to Dennis “Miracles” Edward Aboagye, a former Executive Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation.
The freeze order, which also covers accounts and assets linked to the former accountant of IMCCoD, Gerald Appiah, and the company Hillside Piggery and Meat Processing Limited, was granted on an application filed by the Economic and Organised Crime Office.
The four landed properties affected comprise two properties in the Eastern Region—a parcel of land and a house—and two properties in the Greater Accra Region, including residential apartments and a residential property. The five bank accounts covered under the order also belong to Mr Aboagye.
Background
It will be recalled that Mr Aboagye vehemently denied allegations of financial impropriety following his release from the custody of EOCO last month. In a Facebook post after his release, he declared: “I AM OUT. I AM UNBROKEN. AND I AM MORE READY THAN EVER.”
He described his arrest as part of a “false narrative” aimed at intimidating him. “Four days ago, just one day after I declared my intention to serve our great party as National Communications Director, I was picked up and detained by EOCO. A false narrative was put out about my arrest, but Ghanaians are not fools, and neither are the good people of the New Patriotic Party. The facts and the truth will prevail!!”
He insisted that EOCO never discussed the GH¢55 million figure with him. “FOR THE RECORDS: THERE WAS NO Discussion OF ANY GH¢55 million cedis with me by EOCO. None!!!”
Mr Aboagye was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport upon his return from abroad, with EOCO stating that the arrest was linked to alleged financial and procurement-related irregularities involving about GH¢55 million during his tenure at IMCCoD. He was granted bail in the sum of GH¢50 million with three sureties, two to be justified.
In his post, Mr Aboagye thanked his supporters and declared that the attempt to break him had failed. “If the intention was to break me, it has failed. If the intention was to scare me, it has failed spectacularly. I will lead New Patriotic Party’s communications Directorate to command the narrative, and no cell, no false story, no intimidation will change that.”
The NPP has criticised the arrest, with the party’s General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Kodua, describing it as a “Rambo-style” arrest of opposition figures.
EOCO has maintained that the investigation stems from a petition by the current Executive Secretary of IMCCoD requesting further investigation into a forensic audit covering the period between August 1, 2022, and February 2, 2025, centring on the suspected misappropriation, misapplication, diversion and theft of public funds amounting to about GH¢55 million. The investigation also involves the former Accountant of IMCCoD, Gerald Appiah, who has allegedly voluntarily begun refunding some of the funds connected to the alleged offences.
