The Volta Regional representative on the Council of State, Gabriel Kwamigah-Atokple, has petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to remove the Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Raymond Archer.
This was after he issued a stern and detailed account accusing the leadership of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) of abuse of power, defiance of a court ruling, and reputational harm.
In a strongly worded statement dated March 30, 2026, Kwamigah-Atokple demanded that EOCO’s Acting Executive Director, Raymond Archer, issue an immediate public apology or face legal action.
In additional documents, the Council of State member has also petitioned President John Mahama to dismiss both Archer and his deputy over what he describes as persistent abuse of office.
What was initially perceived by some as a more assertive and hardworking EOCO under the current political climate is now facing increasing scrutiny over its operations and public communications.
Recent developments and public commentary have raised questions about the agency’s approach to investigations, with critics arguing that certain actions may risk undermining public confidence in its work.
It all started when EOCO under the leadership of Raymond Archer named Dr Gabriel Tanko Kwamigah-Atokple, owner of Sesi-Edem Company Limited as a person of interest in an ongoing investigation into an alleged multi-million cedi gold fraud and money laundering scheme.
In a statement issued on March 30, 2026, EOCO said the case stems from a petition filed in November 2025 by J.G. Resources Ltd in collaboration with Unigold Trading LLC. The petition alleges that Sesi-Edem Company Limited fraudulently acquired gold valued at GH¢57,759,594.68 under false pretences.
EOCO indicated that investigations are being conducted under the Economic and Organised Crime Act, 2010 (Act 804), the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), and the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044).
According to the agency, Dr. Kwamigah-Atokple was invited in November 2025 to assist with investigations but failed to honour the invitation, and is therefore being sought to support ongoing inquiries.
Preliminary findings, EOCO said, suggest that bank accounts linked to Sesi-Edem Company Limited may contain suspected proceeds of crime. As a result, the Office froze the accounts on January 30, 2026, to prevent the possible dissipation of funds.
The company subsequently challenged the freezing order in court on February 12, 2026, seeking to have it overturned. However, EOCO maintained that the action was necessary to safeguard funds under investigation.
The Office further clarified that neither the company nor its directors have been formally charged, noting that investigations remain ongoing.
It added that efforts to secure the cooperation of the company’s directors have so far been unsuccessful, warning that it will deploy all lawful means to locate, identify, and arrest individuals linked to the case if they continue to evade investigators.
The development comes amid heightened scrutiny of Ghana’s gold trading sector, with regulators intensifying efforts to combat fraud, illicit financial flows, and regulatory breaches. EOCO has also called on the public to assist law enforcement with any relevant information.
Kwamigah-Atokple rebuts EOCO claims
In a sharp rebuttal, Dr. Kwamigah-Atokple, strongly pushed back against EOCO’s claims, describing the agency’s actions as unlawful and contemptuous.
In a media statement also issued on March 30, 2026, he argued that the matter relates to a dispute involving J.G. Resources Ltd which, according to him, had already been conclusively determined by the High Court of Justice in Adentan on March 19, 2026.
He stated that the court ruled EOCO acted without mandate and in violation of constitutional principles of fairness in its attempt to investigate him. The court, he added, subsequently ordered the defreezing of bank accounts belonging to Sesi-Edem Company Limited.
“Instead of respecting the Court’s authority, EOCO has chosen to publicly attack the judgment and proceed with an ‘investigation’ that the Court has expressly ruled it has no authority to conduct,” he said, describing the move as reckless and bordering on contempt of court.
Dr. Kwamigah-Atokple further criticised EOCO’s leadership under its Executive Director, Raymond Archer, alleging a pattern of unprofessional conduct and media sensationalism.
According to him, the dispute stems from a commercial agreement between Sesi-Edem Company Limited and J.G. Resources Ltd for the supply of gold between June 2025 and June 2026. He noted that the complainant had admitted at least 58 percent of the gold had been delivered by November 2025, while the contractual deadline had not yet elapsed.
“There was no legal or factual basis to label the outstanding quantity as fraudulent,” he argued, adding that EOCO had wrongly attempted to criminalise what he described as a civil contractual matter.
He also rejected claims that the company operated without the necessary licences, stating that Sesi-Edem Company Limited holds valid approvals from the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC), the sector minister, and the Ghana Gold Board, all of which were presented in court and accepted.
Dr. Kwamigah-Atokple maintained that his company had fully cooperated with EOCO prior to the court ruling. He disclosed that the Managing Director of Sesi-Edem honoured an invitation on December 3, 2025, provided a written statement, and participated in interviews, while the company’s legal team submitted all requested documents on November 28, 2025.
He further described EOCO’s decision to declare him a wanted person as baseless, insisting that he had not been served any formal invitation to appear.
The Council of State member has since given EOCO a 12-hour ultimatum to issue a full public apology and withdraw its statement, warning that he will pursue legal action to protect his reputation and uphold the authority of the court if the agency fails to comply.
“I stand firmly on the side of the law, and I expect every public institution to do the same,” he stated.
The latest development adds a new dimension to the dispute, raising concerns about tensions between investigative bodies and the judiciary, as well as the handling of high-value transactions within Ghana’s gold trading sector.
