EOCO vs. BOULEVARD GLOBAL LINKS LIMITED, EDWIN EMEKA UGUNZE [2013]DLHC12089

Date	2013-07-19
Suit No.	SUIT NO. FTRM 44/13
Citation No.	[2013]DLHC12089

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE JOHN AJET-NASAM

AFENYO MARTIN FOR APPLICANTS

JACQUELINE AVOTRI FOR RESPONDENT

[2013]DLHC12089
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >EOCO<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>BOULEVARD GLOBAL LINKS LIMITED, EDWIN EMEKA UGUNZE<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 44/13&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; DATE:
19TH&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>The Economic and
Organized Crime Office, 2010, Act 804 provides under Section 33 (1) as
following:<o:p></o:p>“Where the
Executive Director considers that freezing of property is necessary to
facilitate an investigation or trial, the Executive Director may in writing
direct the freezing of<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:40.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">a.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The
property held by a person or entity other than the person or entity being
investigated or<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:40.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">b.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Special
property held by a person or entity other than the person or entity being
investigated or tried. <o:p></o:p>33(2) The Executive Director shall
within fourteen&nbsp;&nbsp; days after the freezing
of the property apply to court for a confirmation of the freezing.”<o:p></o:p>Under Section 33
(2), the Executive Director of EOCO filed an exparte application to confirm the
freezing of the respondents accounts on the 29th November 2012.<o:p></o:p>In paragraph 7 of
the affidavit in support for the freezing the respondent deposed as follows:<o:p></o:p>“That on the 18th
of October 2012, the 1st respondent’s account received thirty
Thousand, Nine Hundred and Sixty-Four United States Dollars (30,964.00) and
Four-Six Thousand Nine Hundred and Fifty United State Dollars ($46,950.00) in
two separate transfers from George Mudge of the United State of America”.<o:p></o:p>The applicant on
the contrary was of the view that, the monies transferred into the account are
genuine and not tainted. They have therefore brought this instant application
under Section 38(1) (a) <o:p></o:p>Section 38 (1) (a)
provides: “A freezing order remains in force until (a) the order is<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:54.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-36.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2">(i)<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Discharged<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:54.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-36.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2">