Under the plan, anchored on four strategic priorities, the EOCO will partner law enforce­ment agencies and other relevant institutions and develop the office to be operationally resilient and sustainable to help disrupt organ­ised criminal activities.

It is co-funded by GIZ’s Gover­nance for Inclusive Development (GovID) Programme and the UK Foreign Commonwealth Develop­ment Office (FCDO).

Launching the plan in Accra last Friday, the Deputy Attor­ney-General and Minister for Jus­tice, Ms Diana Asonaba Dapaah, said EOCO was essentially born out of Ghana’s response to meet­ing its domestic and international commitments in the fight against money laundering, terrorism financing and other forms of acquisitive crimes.

She stated that the plan would serve as a blueprint and an evalua­tive tool against which the overall performance of EOCO shall be measured, adding that it would further provide a reliable planning framework for the operations and long-term sustainability of the office.

“The five-year strategic plan also recognises the ever evolv­ing complexities of modern day crimes and emphasises the need for the adoption of relevant technologies as part of EOCO’s crime-fighting strategies,” she said.

She commended the Gov­erning Board and Management of EOCO for providing the much-needed leadership and direction which had steered the office in the right direction in the recent past.

The Executive Director of EOCO, Commissioner of Police (COP) Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, in her remarks said her outfit plays a crucial role in Ghana’s efforts in combating economic and organised crimes.

“The office therefore recog­nises the ever-present need to ef­fectively deal with crimes that are inimical to the economic fortunes of the state,” she said.

The Executive Director said the strategic plan was expected to bring some significant improve­ments to the internal processes of EOCO.

“It also provides for a rejuve­nated mission and vision state­ment which succinctly aids the communication of a clear direc­tion for the office over the course of the next five years,” she said.

COP Addo-Danquah stated that the plan would set out pragmatic steps for the office to become more responsive to its mandate through the implementation of a robust asset recovery and manage­ment regime.

“The use of modern technolo­gy, the development of adequate human capital as well as the fostering of relevant partnerships. Undoubtedly, this new strategic plan represents a paradigm shift for EOCO,” she added.

The Executive Director com­mended the Ghana Police Service, Narcotics Control Commission, Office of the Special Prosecutor, Financial Intelligence Centre, Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, and Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, as well as members of the Strategic Plan Working Group, for the collabo­ration for ensuring the successful constitution of the plan.

The Component Manager, Ac­countability and Resource Gover­nance of GIZ, Mr Kweku Obeng, stated that EOCO was considered as one of the foremost anti-cor­ruption institutions in Ghana with the mission to lead a unified national effort in the fight against economic and organised crimes.

He said EOCO had over the years recorded some achievements in its mandate to fight economic and organised crimes, including human trafficking, money launder­ing and cybercrime.