The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), says it is still in the process of tracking more assets and accounts owned by Council of State Member and founder of defunct Ideal Finance, Nii Kotei Dzani.
EOCO has already frozen some 31 accounts and some landed property of Nii Kotei Dzani, as part of efforts to among other things retrieve funds from him to settle customers whose funds are locked up with the defunct company.
EOCO, upon a referral from the Receiver for Ideal Finance, invited Nii Kotei Dzani for questioning on three allegations; including GHc 23 million paid to a client, 200 acres of land he allegedly stole from Ideal Finance, and unlawful use of Ideal Finance’s funds to build ‘Camp Tsaetse’, a plush resort in Ada.
Ideal Finance is among the 23 savings and loans and finance houses that lost their licenses after they were declared insolvent by the Bank of Ghana as part of a massive financial sector clean-up.
According to the Executive Director of EOCO, COP retired Frank Adu-Poku, who spoke to Citi News indicated; the assets confiscated so far include vehicles and about 31 bank accounts belonging to him and the Ideal Group.
He however says they will be pursing more assets and accounts they may not be aware of. Mr. Dzani had argued that EOCO was practically harassing him in a manner that made ‘nonsense’ of his status as a member of the council of state.
According to him, the receiver in the case of the collapse of defunct Ideal Finance did not afford him the opportunity to respond to issues against him before referring his case to EOCO to be investigated.
He maintained that the referral to EOCO and subsequent invitations made to him to appear before the state agency and his arrest at some point, all amount to harassment and abuse of his constitutionally guaranteed right to presumption of innocence.
Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews
