The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) has confirmed the arrest of Dennis Edward Aboagye, the former Executive Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralization (IMCCoD). He is facing allegations of financial and procurement irregularities involving approximately GH¢55 million in public funds.
In a statement released on Monday, EOCO stated that the arrest came after investigations were initiated following the findings of a forensic audit that reviewed the operations of the IMCCoD Secretariat from August 2022 to February 2025. The investigation was prompted by a petition from the current Executive Secretary of IMCCoD, who requested EOCO to examine the audit findings.
According to EOCO, the audit and subsequent investigations, which began last year, indicate suspected misappropriation, misapplication, diversion, and theft of public funds during the specified period.
EOCO said Mr Aboagye, the Secretariat’s former accountant, Gerald Appiah, and other unnamed persons are being investigated for alleged offences, including conspiracy to steal, stealing, using public office for profit, causing financial loss to the state, dissipation of public funds, defrauding by false pretences, and money laundering.
The statement said Mr Aboagye had been aware of the investigations and had previously reported to EOCO in connection with the case. It said new findings that emerged last week led the office to move ahead with plans to arrest him. EOCO added that it had placed him on a Stop Order about a week earlier to prevent him from leaving the country while investigations continued. Unknown to investigators at the time, Mr Aboagye had already travelled abroad.
According to EOCO, officers of the Ghana Immigration Service intercepted Mr Aboagye when he returned through Kotoka International Airport on Saturday, July 11, 2026, and handed him over to EOCO on Sunday morning. The office said Mr Aboagye later accompanied investigators on a search operation on Sunday, July 12, 2026, which was expected to continue on Monday.
On Mr Appiah, EOCO said he had voluntarily started refunding money linked to the alleged offences. It said the repayments do not bring the investigations to an end or clear any suspect of criminal responsibility. EOCO said both men would be granted bail in line with the constitution and the laws of Ghana. It said Mr Appiah was expected to meet his bail conditions on Monday, July 13, 2026, and be released while investigations continue. Mr Aboagye’s bail process is also underway.
The office said investigations would be conducted professionally and within the law while respecting the constitutional rights of all persons involved. It added that further updates would be provided as the case progresses. Meanwhile, some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are currently gathered outside the EOCO office in Accra, protesting to demand that his lawyers be granted access to see him and that he be released from custody.
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Source: Mohammed Ali
