EOCO suggests lifestyle audit plan targeting celebrities and wealthy people

The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) has suggested a strategy to conduct lifestyle audits on celebrities and individuals suspected of having amassed wealth through dubious means.

The initiative comes in the wake of a recent high-profile case involving Ghanaian social media influencer and musician Mona Montrage, commonly known as Hajia4real, who pleaded guilty to a $2 million romance scam.

The incident involving Hajia4real has raised widespread concerns about the prevalence of ill-gotten wealth within Ghanaian society and the authorities' inability to curb such illegal activities.

Edward Cudjoe, EOCO's head of administration and research, told Joy News in a recent interview that the agency is gearing up to conduct lifestyle audits of individuals with unexplained wealth. admitted.

Mr. Cudjoe emphasized the importance of amending current laws to bring them in line with international standards and suggested that individuals must substantiate disparities in their financial profiles with legitimate income. He stressed that the burden of proof lies with individuals to explain to law enforcement the source of their wealth.

Former Auditor General Daniel Domelebo echoed similar sentiments, warning that Ghana could become susceptible to drug traffickers if a lifestyle audit is not initiated soon.

He stressed the need for a robust system to combat illicit enrichment, citing concerns about the adequacy of existing mechanisms.

He argued that privacy considerations must be weighed against the welfare of the population as a whole, warning that individual rights could be violated if the issue was not quickly addressed.