Targeting celebrities and people suspected of having excessive wealth, the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) has declared its intention to begin lifestyle audits.
This ruling comes after musician and social media influencer Mona Montrage, better known online as Hajia4reall, from Ghana, entered a guilty plea in a $2 million romance scam case.
Concerns have been raised by the incident regarding the Ghanaian authorities’ alleged incapacity to stop the spread of illicit enrichment.
In an interview with JoyNewsUpfront, the head of EOCO’s administration and investigations, Edward Cudjoe, revealed that procedures were in place to start lifestyle audits for people who have unexplained wealth.
He emphasized that EOCO wants to depart from the existing legislation, which mandates that an individual be the focus of an investigation before being asked about the source of their wealth.
“We are spearheading the effort on our own, putting forth specific recommendations to modify the legislation to bring it into compliance with global norms. This guarantees that any discrepancies in your financial profile are supported by your income. The onus of proof is on the individual to explain where those resources came from, and any discrepancies must be explained to law enforcement,” he stated.
Former Auditor General Daniel Domelevo issued a warning, stating that if lifestyle audits are not started right away, Ghana could fall prey to drug dealers.
Domelevo expressed concern about the adequacy of current systems, stating, “Our systems are not fit for purpose.” The issue of invading someone’s privacy must be considered in the context of national interest or our collective well-being. If not addressed quickly, we risk jeopardizing individual rights for the greater good.”
