News
Attorney-General Ayine reports EOCO recovery of US$15.19 million in hidden virtual assets
The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has announced that the Economic and Organized Crime Office has successfully used Ghana’s local laws to freeze and recover virtual assets hidden in foreign jurisdictions, amounting to US$15,191,730.13.
Dr Ayine made this known at the Government Accountability Series, where he briefed the media on what he described as a groundbreaking investigation into an international online investment fraud scheme.
He explained that the recovery followed a complex investigation by the Economic and Organized Crime Office into a criminal network made up largely of Chinese and Malaysian nationals who targeted Ghanaian and British citizens through fraudulent online investment platforms.
According to the Attorney General, the syndicate operated through a Ghanaian registered company that presented itself as a legitimate e commerce and online trading business.
Victims were made to pay registration fees and buy investment packages, with promises of high returns, while payments were made through mobile money, cash and cryptocurrencies.
Dr Ayine stated that EOCO investigators traced the proceeds of the crime through cryptocurrency wallets using advanced blockchain analysis tools.
The investigations led to the identification and freezing of wallets hosted on an offshore crypto exchange platform, following cooperation with international partners.
He noted that EOCO obtained orders from the High Court directing the transfer and conversion of the seized virtual assets into fiat currency and the payment of their dollar value into EOCO’s exhibit account.
As a result, he disclosed that on November 19, 2025, the recovered crypto assets were successfully converted and paid into the account in the total amount of US$15,191,730.13.
The Attorney General explained that part of the recovered funds would be used to compensate victims of the fraud, while the remaining amount would be paid into the public purse.
He stressed that the operation showed that Ghana could apply its domestic laws effectively to track, freeze and recover digital assets concealed outside the country, describing the achievement as a major step forward for law enforcement on the African continent.
Dr Ayine revealed that EOCO had exceeded its 2025 recovery target of US$200 million, with total recoveries now standing at about US$337.4 million, the highest in the history of the office.
He attributed the success to strong institutional leadership, effective collaboration with international partners and the support of President John Dramani Mahama, adding that the results demonstrated that state institutions could deliver when given the needed backing.
The Attorney General assured the public that investigations were still ongoing and that his office would continue to account to Ghanaians while ensuring that recovered proceeds of crime were properly managed under the law.
By: Jacob Aggrey
National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Executive Committee member and Volta River Authority (VRA) Board Member, Wonder Victor Kutor, has described calls for the resignation of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa as premature and unjustified.
He argued that there was no evidence to establish that the minister had committed any wrongdoing to warrant such demands.
Speaking on Joy News in Accra on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Mr Kutor questioned what had changed to justify the growing calls for the minister to step down.
He recalled that the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, had earlier indicated that the opposition was not accusing Mr Ablakwa of any wrongdoing.
Mr Kutor, therefore, challenged those demanding the minister’s resignation to provide fresh evidence to support their position.
“The call for the Minister to resign is premature, it is untenable. There is no evidence. I mean, what has he done wrong?” he questioned.
He added that documents, including boarding passes, airline receipts and flight manifests relating to the minister’s return journey, had been provided.
Mr Kutor expressed concern that the calls for Mr Ablakwa’s resignation could discourage young politicians from speaking out against corruption and advocating transparency.
According to him, politicians should not be targeted or maligned for demanding accountability, warning that such treatment could create the impression that speaking against corruption could later become a liability when one is appointed to public office.
He maintained that calling for accountability and transparency should not be used as grounds to target public officials without evidence of wrongdoing.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana will host the Africa Festival of Arts, Culture and Creatives (AFESTAC) 2026 alongside Industrial Skills Week Africa (ISWA) 2026 in Accra from December 9 to 12, 2026.
On the back of these programmes, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called on corporate Ghana, the media and the general public to support the initiative through partnerships, sponsorships and active participation.
The events, supported by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), will bring together stakeholders to celebrate Africa’s rich cultural heritage, strengthen the creative economy, promote industrial skills development and create employment opportunities for young people.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
