EOCO vs. WILLIAMS DEBRAH [2013]DLHC12085

Date	2013-07-19
Suit No.	SUIT NO. FTRM 89/13
Citation No.	[2013]DLHC12085

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE JOHN AJET-NASAM

AFENYO MARTIN FOR RESPONDENT

DIANA ADU-ANANE FOR APPLICANT

[2013]DLHC12085
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >EOCO<o:p></o:p>&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;&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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>WILLIAMS DEBRAH<o:p></o:p>(APPLICANTS)<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 89/13&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; &nbsp; DATE:
19TH&nbsp;&nbsp;JULY 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 22nd day of January
2013 the respondent came under Sections 33, 34 and 35 of Act 804 and confirmed
the freezing of the applicant herein’s account. The basis for the application
on the said date was based on paragraph 3 of the affidavit in support. The said
deposition is that:<o:p></o:p>“that the applicant is investigating
suspected serious offence including fraud and money laundering in pursuance of
Section 2 and 3 of the Economic and Organized Crime Office Act, 2010, Act 804.”<o:p></o:p>Paragraph 12 of the affidavit in
support further state:<o:p></o:p>“12 That the applicant upon reasonable
suspicion that the respondent is engaged in some serious offences has ordered
the aforementioned bank to freeze the account of the respondent for preliminary
investigation to be conducted.”<o:p></o:p>I do not want to revisit the issue
about Suspicious Transaction as I have discussed such in an earlier ruling
delivered this morning in the Suit No. FTRM 81/12.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;In this regard therefore, the
Suspicious Transaction reports are in consonance with the law. On the account
of Debrah Williams, the reason for the transfer was Personal Loans. “It however
beats my imagination how such could be described as tainted money. The EOCO
argues the remitter may not know the beneficiary. If such is so, will one give
a loan to a person one does not know?<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;I am therefore of the opinion that, the
order made by this court concerning this account No. 0420034429110201 be
revoked and it is hereby revoked. On Michelle Steinhauser’s transfers, the EOCO
could not provide any documentary proof that the said Michelle Steinhauser did
not arrive in Ghana. There was nothing from the Immigration Service to that
effect. I am therefore of the opinion that, non-production of such evidential
materials weakens the respondent’s argument. I also take judicial notice of the
fact that, we have porous borders and as such, the Immigration Service may not
have all data of people coming into the country and also going out.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The respondent attached Exhibit EOCO 1
series. These do not form part of the accounts that EOCO came to Court to
confirm the freezing. I do not think it will be in the right direction to
consider such as a case against the applicant. I will therefore grant the
application. The applicant to pay the tax on the said amount to the Ghana Revenue
Authority and file a receipt in Court.<o:p></o:p>

&nbsp;</main>