Former Attorney-General and Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has described the donation of six heavy-duty printers by Attorney-General Dominic Ayine to the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) as unlawful and unethical.
According to Amidu, Ayine’s explanation before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), that he bought the printers from his own money to help EOCO work efficiently — directly violates Section 15(b) of Act 804, which governs the agency’s operations.
“Dominic Ayine’s response to the MP for Kpando’s request for clarification shows that the alleged purchase of six heavy-duty printers from his personal funds for EOCO was unlawful,” Amidu wrote.
He argued that such donations interfere with the impartiality and independence of EOCO, a body mandated to operate without political or financial influence.
“A personal donation to an institution under your supervision cannot be justified as charity. It compromises the institution,” he added.
Amidu compared the cost of the printers to other issues discussed at the same PAC hearing, including an outstanding GH¢191,291.37 tax liability by the Legal Aid Commission (LAC) and an unearned salary of GH¢25,648.23 at EOCO , suggesting that the printer purchase was no minor gesture but a significant financial act that warranted scrutiny.
He maintained that EOCO, as a publicly funded entity, cannot lawfully accept donations not approved by the Finance Ministry, warning that such actions set a dangerous precedent.
