[ 2017-04-20 ]

EOCO seizes Ibrahim Mahama’s passport
The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO)
yesterday seized the passport of businessman
Ibrahim Mahama when he made his second appearance
before officials of the anti-graft agency.

With the travel document now in the custody of the
EOCO, he has been subtly told that he cannot
travel outside the country until the case he is
facing is exhausted, it would appear.

Last week Thursday, Ibrahim Mahama received the
invitation from EOCO to appear in order to answer
questions regarding alleged dud cheques.

He arrived at EOCO’s offices on Tuesday with his
lawyers in the morning and was grilled for several
hours.

One of his boys – Member of Parliament for
Ningo-Prampram, Sam George – confirmed
Ibrahim’s invitation.

He stated that other than being asked to submit
his travel documents today, Mr. Mahama also would
be meeting the EOCO boss on Thursday (today).

The brother of former President John Dramani
Mahama at the Tuesday meeting, was said to have
been questioned on dud cheques he allegedly
submitted to the Customs Division of the Ghana
Revenue Agency (GRA) as duties for heavy duty
equipment he imported into the country.

The cheques were alleged to be 44 in number and
were submitted last year when the equipment
arrived at the Port of Tema, DAILY GUIDE
gathered.

He is expected to make another appearance today in
furtherance of the investigations being undertaken
by EOCO.

It appears that he would be meeting for the first
time today the Executive Director of EOCO; the
earlier appearances were thought to have been with
the subordinates of the boss.

The seizure of the passport has prompted an
assortment of conjectures, all of them pointing at
a deepening of the investigations and the
seriousness with which the anti-organised crime
agency attaches to the case before it.

Ibrahim Mahama, Chief Executive Officer of
Engineers & Planners (E&P), was said to have
presented 44 bounced cheques to the GRA, making
the country lose over GH¢10 million in revenue.

Dr. Nyaho-Nyaho Tamakloe, uncle of Ibrahim Mahama,
has unexpectedly frowned at what in his opinion is
the witch hunting of his nephew by the government,
while speaking to an Accra-based radio station.

According to Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe, all businessmen do
issue post-dated cheques and that was what Ibrahim
did, saying that there was nothing wrong with it.

Mr. Mahama, he added, is not perturbed by the
invitation from the EOCO, noting that “Ibrahim
will never fail.”

The businessman, who was active in rendering
financial support to his brother during the two
campaigns in which he (brother) was candidate, did
not hold any public office, but many thought he
wielded power in the previous government hence the
many suspicions about the comparative advantages
in his favour when it came to bidding for juicy
government contracts.

Although no charge has been preferred against him
yet, it is also not known whether EOCO intends
opening other cases against the businessman for
which he has been cited.

He appears to be the biggest fish yet from the
private sector with strong connection to the NDC
to make an appearance at EOCO.

With EOCO not divulging details of its meetings
with suspects who appear before it, media
practitioners have to stretch their necks extra to
gather the pieces and assemble same for their
readers and listeners.

Former President John Mahama has not spoken about
his brother’s invitation by EOCO yet; his first
appearance last Tuesday having coincided with the
day he was guest of President Akufo-Addo during
the novelty engagement with former Presidents.

Source - dailyguideafrica.com

... go Back