The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) has intensified its campaign to build public momentum behind asset recovery in Ghana by engaging media, civil society organisations (CSOs), and community-based groups at a sensitisation workshop held in Koforidua.
The initiative, under the theme “Building Political Will and Public Support for Asset Recovery in Ghana,” received funding from the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) and focused on equipping key stakeholders with the knowledge to advocate for more effective asset recovery mechanisms.
GACC’s Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Mr. Solomon Nyankah, told participants that Ghana continues to lose billions to corruption-related activities, notably through trade mis-invoicing, costing the country an estimated US$3 billion annually. He stressed that asset recovery efforts remain weak due to limited public awareness, institutional bottlenecks, and poor collaboration between state and non-state actors.
The workshop unpacked the legal and procedural aspects of asset recovery, with officials from the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) providing detailed briefings. Madam Esther Preprah Asamoah of the FIC explained the multi-step process involved—from pre-investigation to judicial proceedings and final asset disposal—and underscored the role of international frameworks such as the United Nations Convention Against Corruption and the ECOWAS Protocol in shaping Ghana’s asset recovery strategy.
Madam Asamoah emphasized that legal instruments like the EOCO Act (Act 804), Anti-Money Laundering Act (Act 1044), and the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act (Act 957) provide the legislative backbone for recovery operations. She challenged media and civil society to step up their watchdog roles through investigative journalism and policy advocacy.
EOCO’s representative, Mr. Emmanuel Kwaku Dzakpata, highlighted the agency’s recovery of over GHS 500 million in the last two years, alongside successful confiscations of properties and strengthened international cooperation through platforms like the Asset Recovery Interagency Network Africa. He also pointed out the persistent hurdles EOCO faces, including legal delays, under-resourcing, and technical limitations in transnational financial investigations.
Among the recommendations from the forum were calls for government and development partners to invest in EOCO’s capacity—financially and technologically—and for increased public education campaigns to demystify asset recovery.
Stakeholders concluded that reclaiming stolen assets is not only a legal necessity but also a moral imperative that requires collective vigilance and sustained institutional reforms.
