A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Anning, has called for lifestyle audits to be extended to all Ghanaians rather than being limited to politicians and public office holders.
His comments follow concerns raised by certified US-based Ghanaian fraud examiner Isaac Obour, who warned that the recent extraditions of Ghanaian nationals over alleged romance scams, wire fraud, and money laundering pose a serious threat to Ghana’s international reputation.
Obour maintained that although Ghana has the systems, compliance tools, and technology needed to detect financial crimes, enforcement remains inadequate. He further alleged that some public officials are complicit in criminal syndicates due to the huge financial rewards they receive from suspected fraudsters. He therefore urged banks to strengthen due diligence by scrutinising large foreign inflows that appear inconsistent with customers’ known sources of income.
Speaking on Plan B FM’s Nkosuo Nsem with Kofi Sekyi, Richard Anning agreed that lifestyle audits are necessary but insisted they should be conducted fairly and applied to every Ghanaian whose standard of living does not match their legitimate income, regardless of political affiliation.
He also criticised the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and other security agencies, urging them to abandon what he described as “Rambo-style” arrests and intimidation of citizens suspected of financial crimes or corruption.
According to Anning, such actions create the impression of selective justice and political persecution. He argued that the government’s approach is intended to divert public attention from what he described as its failure to address pressing national challenges, adding that President John Dramani Mahama is becoming “a reactive president” rather than one focused on proactive governance.
His comments were in reaction to the recent arrest of Dennis Miracles Aboagye, the NPP’s Director of Communications for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s 2028 presidential campaign. Aboagye was arrested by EOCO in connection with investigations into an alleged GH¢50 million financial matter.
According to his legal team, Aboagye honoured an invitation by EOCO but was subsequently detained, a move the NPP has condemned as politically motivated. EOCO, however, maintains that the arrest forms part of ongoing investigations into suspected financial irregularities.
By: Bernard Mensah |Planbfmonline.com
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