EOCO vs. OLEDUNMO LTD & ORS [2013]DLHC12084

Date	2013-04-26
Suit No.	SUIT NO. FTRM/90/12
Citation No.	[2013]DLHC12084

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE JOHN AJET-NASAM

MR. GODWIN AKPADIE FOR APPLICANT

MR. EDWARD CUDJOE FOR RESPONDENT

[2013]DLHC12084
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >EOCO&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>(APPLICANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>OLEDUNMO
LTD &amp; ORS<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT/APPLICANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

SUIT NO. FTRM/90/12&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE: 26TH&nbsp;APRIL 2013<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>HIS
LORDSHIP JUSTICE JOHN AJET-NASAM<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>On the 21-3-2013, the
applicant herein filed a motion on notice for an order to defreeze its accounts
confirmed frozen by this Court upon application by the respondent.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The application was brought by
respondents on the 19-4-2012 and moved on 24-4-2012.&nbsp; In its affidavit in support, paragraph 3, the
respondent deposed through are Paul Adjei Gyang that:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;“The applicant (EOCO) is investigating suspected
serious offences of money laundering and cyber crime pursuant to sections 2 and
3 of the EOCO Act, 2010, Act 804.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;‘8’ “That preliminary investigations revealed that
the suspicious sum was a remittance by one John Slawinski of Palm Desert,
California.”<o:p></o:p>Based upon the above and other
depositions, this Court confirmed freezing of the accounts of the applicant
herein to undertake its investigations.&nbsp;
It is about 12 months today when the order was granted confirming the
freezing.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The applicants deposed in
paragraph ‘18’ of their affidavit in support that: <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;“That almost eleven months now, the respondent had since
not concluded their investigations or came up with any report whatsoever and
has failed or refused to order the Bank to defreeze the company’s account and
to allow us have any dealings with our account”. (emphasis mine).<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;I wish to state that, the respondent
cannot order the Bank to defreeze the applicant’s account once it had been done
through an Order of this Court.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;However, nothing prevents the
respondent herein to file for extension of freezing order when to them,
investigations have not completed within the stipulated period of twelve
months.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;