Tampuli Accuses EOCO of Weaponising Bail Against Suspects

New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Gushegu, Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli, has raised concerns about what he describes as the growing weaponisation of bail by state investigative bodies, particularly the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, November 22, the MP said recent developments indicate that bail, meant to protect the rights of suspects, is increasingly being used as a tool of oppression. He stated that bail is now more or less being weaponised, used as a weapon to oppress suspects or persons of interest with some very wondrous bail terms and conditions.

The private legal practitioner said bail had been weaponised to suppress and oppress suspects, and called for a realignment procedure. He criticized the detention of individuals without evidence of misappropriation of funds and described the bail amounts demanded by EOCO as excessive, urging that they be reconsidered.

Tampuli contrasted this trend with the operations of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), noting that its approach has historically not involved custodial demands, stating one will hardly find any instance where OSP will insist that somebody must be held in custody.

The MP also questioned the consistency of custodial decisions over the years, especially under the previous government, asking whether anyone could mention one person who was held in custody during the eight years NPP was in power because they could not meet any bail conditions.

He further criticized situations where individuals remain in custody despite the absence of financial loss linked to their cases, questioning why people are being held in custody unrelated to any loss of money and what authorities are trying to recover from them.

The remarks follow Attorney General Dr. Dominic Ayine’s recent defense of EOCO’s decision to impose high bail conditions in major corruption and financial crime cases. Earlier this week, Dr. Ayine responded to questions from Habib Iddrisu, Member of Parliament for Tolon and First Deputy Minority Whip, who sought clarification on recent bail terms set by EOCO.

Explaining the legal basis for EOCO’s actions, Dr. Ayine noted that the office operates under Article 14(4) of the Constitution, which permits the arrest and release of suspects either unconditionally or on reasonable terms ensuring they appear before the court. He rejected suggestions that high bail conditions target former government officials, stressing that requirements vary according to the nature of alleged crimes.

Dr. Ayine pointed to cases involving alleged financial losses running into hundreds of millions of cedis, underscoring that bail conditions must correspond to the scale of alleged offenses. He stated bail depends on the crime and its gravity, noting that setting unreasonably low bail could allow suspects to evade trial without sufficient compensation for potential financial loss to the state.

The debate over EOCO’s bail practices comes amid heightened scrutiny of financial crimes allegedly committed during the previous administration, with several high profile cases now before the courts.