The Governing Board of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has directed the agency’s management to comply strictly with an interim injunction issued by the Adenta High Court, ordering a halt to all actions involving gold dealership firm Sesi-Edem Company Limited.

The directive, contained in a letter dated 22 April 2026 and signed by the Board Secretary, Ms Sedina Gbeve, follows a petition filed by the company alleging abuse of power, unlawful investigation and defiance of court orders by EOCO’s Acting Executive Director, Raymond Archer, and his deputy, Ben Ndego.

The Board, chaired by former Auditor-General Daniel Yao Domelevo, acknowledged the ongoing legal disputes between the parties but stressed the need for adherence to the court’s orders.

“Regarding the interim order of injunction, the Board has directed the Office to ensure strict compliance with the orders of the High Court for the period of the interim injunction,” the letter stated.

The petition, submitted by Sesi-Edem through its lawyers, Knightscild Chambers, accused EOCO’s leadership of misconduct in its handling of investigations into the company. However, after referring the matter to its Legal Sub-committee and reviewing court rulings and internal reports, the Board said it found no evidence of abuse of power.

“The Board did not find evidence of abuse of power on the part of the Acting Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director,” the statement noted.

On the allegation of unlawful investigation, the Board declined to comment, citing ongoing proceedings before the High Court. “This specific issue is the subject of the Human Rights action pending before the High Court… and the Board has decided not to comment on it,” it explained.

Similarly, the Board refrained from making any determination on claims that EOCO had defied court orders, noting that the issue remains before the court and is subject to an appeal and an application for stay of execution.

Despite these reservations, the Board emphasised that EOCO must operate within the law. “The Office remains committed to exercising its functions within the ambit of the EOCO Act, 2010 (Act 804) and the 1992 Constitution of Ghana,” the letter addressed to Mawunyo Adzaho added.

Meanwhile, Sesi-Edem Company Limited has rejected media reports suggesting that EOCO is free to continue its investigations, insisting that the injunction remains in force.

In a statement issued on Saturday, 25 April 2026, the company said: “That assertion is wrong as a matter of law and fact.”

It explained that the High Court’s interim injunction, granted on 14 April 2026, restrains EOCO from, among other things, declaring its directors wanted or taking steps to arrest, detain or otherwise interfere with their liberty.

The company further argued that the injunction remains valid under Order 25 rule 10 of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2004 (C.I. 47), as it has already filed an application for an interlocutory injunction.

“The injunction accordingly remains in force by operation of law until the interlocutory application is determined,” the statement said.

The firm also criticised EOCO’s recent affidavit in which the agency claimed it had never formally declared the company or its directors wanted.

“That position is, to put it mildly, remarkable,” the statement said, adding that “such conduct cannot properly be dismissed as media engagement.”

Sesi-Edem argued that any suggestion that EOCO could proceed with investigations despite the injunction risks undermining the court’s authority and could amount to contempt.

“We call upon… media outlets that have published the inaccurate reports to issue an immediate correction and retraction,” the company stated.

The dispute stems from a US$14.3 million gold supply transaction involving Sesi-Edem Company Ltd, JG Resources and Turkish firm Tavest FZCO. The latter claims it paid for 50 kilogrammes of gold but received only 32.8 kilogrammes.

JG Resources subsequently reported the matter to EOCO, alleging fraud. However, the Adenta High Court ruled that the dispute was a private commercial transaction and fell outside EOCO’s mandate, directing that it be pursued through civil proceedings.

The court further criticised EOCO’s actions, including the freezing of the company’s bank account, as exceeding its statutory authority.

Tensions escalated after EOCO publicly described the Volta Regional representative on the Council of State, Dr Gabriel Tanko Kwamigah-Atokple, as a “fugitive”. In a subsequent affidavit filed before the court, the agency retreated from that position, stating that no formal “wanted” notice had been issued.

EOCO maintained that its earlier statement was merely a general press release issued in response to media discussions and did not constitute an official declaration.

In the latest development, the presiding judge, Justice Aboagye Rockson, has recused himself from the case and adjourned proceedings indefinitely, directing that the interlocutory injunction application be returned to the earlier judge, Justice Richard Apietu, to ensure consistency in rulings.

The case remains before the courts as both sides continue to contest the legality of EOCO’s actions and the scope of its investigative powers.