Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has exceeded its 2025 recovery target by a historic margin, recording the highest recoveries in the agency’s history, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Dr. Dominic Ayine announced Thursday.
At the Government Accountability Series in Accra, Dr. Ayine disclosed that EOCO had set a recovery target of GH¢200 million for the year but has so far recovered GH¢337.4 million, surpassing the goal by GH¢133.4 million.
“The economic and organised crime unit has not only met its target but has gone beyond our expectations,” Dr. Ayine said. “This is a remarkable achievement and a testament to the dedication of the agency’s staff and the strength of our institutions.”
Direct and Indirect Recoveries
The Attorney-General explained that the recoveries comprise both direct and indirect funds.
i. Direct recoveries deposited into EOCO’s exhibit account currently stand at about GH¢194 million.
ii. Indirect recoveries, paid directly to other government institutions such as the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Consolidated Fund, amount to GH¢142.4 million.
“These amounts represent completed cases,” Dr. Ayine noted, emphasizing that leadership has been crucial to EOCO’s performance. “The success story of EOCO shows that institutions matter, but institutional leadership is crucial to the success of the institutions we create as a country.”
Cryptocurrency Syndicate Recovery
Beyond domestic recoveries, Ghana has also reclaimed more than $15 million from an international online crime syndicate that defrauded Ghanaians through cryptocurrency schemes.
Dr. Ayine revealed that EOCO, working with foreign custodians, froze and recovered virtual assets hidden abroad. On November 19, 2025, Zodia Custody converted the crypto assets and paid $15,191,730.13 into EOCO’s exhibit account.
“EOCO successfully used our local laws to freeze and recover virtual assets hidden in foreign jurisdictions,” he said.
The syndicate, according to Dr. Ayine, deliberately targeted Ghanaians and laundered proceeds through digital currencies such as Bitcoin and USDT.
“As demonstrated above, the criminal enterprise targeted our citizens, defrauded them, and laundered the criminal proceeds into cryptocurrencies,” he explained.
Dr. Ayine described the recovery as a major victory for Ghana’s law enforcement agencies, underscoring the role of EOCO and other investigative bodies in safeguarding the country’s financial interests.
“This achievement demonstrates the resilience of our institutions and the effectiveness of our laws in protecting citizens from organised crime,” he said.
