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The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has announced that the Economic and Organized Crime Office has successfully used Ghana’s local laws to freeze and recover virtual assets hidden in foreign jurisdictions, amounting to US$15,191,730.13.
Dr Ayine made this known at the Government Accountability Series, where he briefed the media on what he described as a groundbreaking investigation into an international online investment fraud scheme.
He explained that the recovery followed a complex investigation by the Economic and Organized Crime Office into a criminal network made up largely of Chinese and Malaysian nationals who targeted Ghanaian and British citizens through fraudulent online investment platforms.
According to the Attorney General, the syndicate operated through a Ghanaian registered company that presented itself as a legitimate e commerce and online trading business.
Victims were made to pay registration fees and buy investment packages, with promises of high returns, while payments were made through mobile money, cash and cryptocurrencies.
Dr Ayine stated that EOCO investigators traced the proceeds of the crime through cryptocurrency wallets using advanced blockchain analysis tools.
The investigations led to the identification and freezing of wallets hosted on an offshore crypto exchange platform, following cooperation with international partners.
He noted that EOCO obtained orders from the High Court directing the transfer and conversion of the seized virtual assets into fiat currency and the payment of their dollar value into EOCO’s exhibit account.
As a result, he disclosed that on November 19, 2025, the recovered crypto assets were successfully converted and paid into the account in the total amount of US$15,191,730.13.
The Attorney General explained that part of the recovered funds would be used to compensate victims of the fraud, while the remaining amount would be paid into the public purse.
He stressed that the operation showed that Ghana could apply its domestic laws effectively to track, freeze and recover digital assets concealed outside the country, describing the achievement as a major step forward for law enforcement on the African continent.
Dr Ayine revealed that EOCO had exceeded its 2025 recovery target of US$200 million, with total recoveries now standing at about US$337.4 million, the highest in the history of the office.
He attributed the success to strong institutional leadership, effective collaboration with international partners and the support of President John Dramani Mahama, adding that the results demonstrated that state institutions could deliver when given the needed backing.
The Attorney General assured the public that investigations were still ongoing and that his office would continue to account to Ghanaians while ensuring that recovered proceeds of crime were properly managed under the law.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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Source: GhanaianTimes | Read the Full Story…
