PAC will involve EOCO officials in its hearings to verify claims by public officials and curb attempts to evade accountability using unsubstantiated references to investigations.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament says it will soon require officials from the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to be present at its public hearings to strengthen accountability and curb false claims by public officers.
Chairperson of the Committee, Abena Osei Asare, explained that the decision has become necessary due to a growing trend in which some public officials attempt to avoid scrutiny by claiming their financial infractions have been reported to EOCO—assertions she says are often untrue and unsubstantiated.
She noted that going forward, EOCO representatives will attend the hearings to verify such claims in real time and ensure transparency in the process.
The move follows what the Committee described as a frustrating pattern observed during its three-day zonal public hearing in the Western Region, where some officials repeatedly deflected questions by insisting their cases were already under investigation by EOCO or had been cleared by the agency, without providing any supporting documentation.
Abena Osei Asare expressed concern that some institutions are using EOCO as a “shield” to evade accountability, despite failing to substantiate their claims.
She stressed the need for stricter checks, stating that EOCO officials will now be physically present at hearings to prevent what she described as “vague and misleading excuses” and to eliminate reliance on what she called “phantom investigations.”
Source: Starrfmonline
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