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Ghana
Economic and Organised Crime Office Act, 2010
Act 804 of 2010
- Published in Ghana Gazette on 7 September 2010
- Assented to on 6 September 2010
- Commenced on 7 September 2010
- [This is the version of this document as it was from 7 September 2010 to 2 January 2018.]
Part one – Economic and Organised Crime Office
Economic and Organised Crime Office
1. Establishment of the Economic and Organised Crime Office
2. Objects of the Office
The objects of the Office are to3. Functions of the Office
The functions of the Office are to4. Governing body of the Office
5. Functions of the Board on policy formulation
The Board shall formulate policies necessary for the achievement of the objects of the Office.6. Tenure of office of members of the Board
7. Meetings of the Board
8. Disclosure of interest
9. Establishment of committees
10. Allowances
Members of the Board and members of a committee of the Board shall be paid allowances approved by the Minister in consultation with the Minister responsible for Finance.Administrative, operational and financial matters
11. Appointment of Executive Director
12. Functions of Executive Director
13. Appointment of Deputy Executive Directors
14. Appointment of other staff
15. Funds of the Office
The funds of the Office include16. Accounts and audit
17. Annual report and other reports
Power of the Office
18. Authorised officers to exercise powers of police
The Executive Director, Deputy Executive Directors and officers authorised by the Executive Director shall exercise the powers and have the immunities conferred on a police officer in the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30), the Police Service Act, 1970 (Act 30) and any other law related to a police officer.19. Request for information
20. Power to search and remove documents
21. Obstruction of officer of the Office
A person who wilfully obstructs an authorised officer from performing a function under this Act commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction,Part two – Proceeds of crime
Application and pre-emptive measures
22. Application of this Part to PNDCL 236
This part applies to the Narcotic Drugs (Control Enforcement and Sanctions) Act, 1990 (PNDCL 236) in relation to the proceeds from sale, profit or income earned and property acquired or likely to have been earned or acquired through trading in narcotic drug.23. Seizure and detention of currency suspected to be proceeds of crime
24. Seizure of tainted property
25. Power to search for tainted property
26. Search
27. Searches in emergencies
28. Obstruction of search and seizure
A person who29. Property tracking
Where an authorised officer has reasonable grounds to suspect that a document which is required to30. Record of seized property
31. Return of seized property
32. Mutual legal assistance
WhereFreezing orders
33. Freezing of property
34. Application for freezing order
35. Issue of freezing order
36. Effect of freezing order
A contract or other arrangement made by a person in respect of the tainted property after the issue of the freezing order is of no effect.37. Breach of freezing order
A person who contravenes a freezing order commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction38. Duration of freezing order
39. Review of freezing order
40. Extension of freezing order
Confiscation order
41. Declaration of property and income
42. Duty of Auditor-General to produce copies of declaration
43. Use of information contained in declaration
44. Inaccurate declaration of property and income
45. Presumption of acquisition of property and income
Confiscation and pecuniary penalty orders
46. Application for confiscation or pecuniary penalty order
47. Notice of application
48. Amendment of application
49. Procedure on application
50. Procedure against property where a person dies or absconds
51. Confiscation order
52. Effect of confiscation order
53. Void transaction
The Court shall set aside a transaction related to property which is the subject of a confiscation order where the transaction was made after the seizure of the property or issue of a freezing order.54. Protection of third parties
55. Quashing of conviction not to discharge confiscation order
56. Confiscation where a person dies or absconds
The Court shall order property to be confiscated ifPecuniary penalty order
57. Payment instead of a confiscation order
Where the Court is satisfied that a confiscation order should be made in respect of the property of a person convicted of a serious offence but the property or a part of the property or interest in the property cannot be made subject to that order and, in particular, the property58. Application on procedure for enforcement of order for payment
59. Pecuniary penalty orders
60. Lifting the veil
61. Enforcement of pecuniary penalty orders
Where the Court orders a person to pay an amount under a pecuniary penalty order, the provisions of section 40 apply to empower the Court to impose a term of imprisonment on that person in default of compliance with the order.62. Discharge of pecuniary penalty orders
A pecuniary penalty order is dischargedProduction order
63. Production order
64. Requirements for making a production order
A production order is made, where there is reasonable ground to suspect thatRealisation of property
65. Realisation of property
66. Utilisation of proceeds of realisable property
67. Insolvency
The Insolvency Act, 2006 (Act 708) does not apply to property which is subject to this Act.68. Winding up of company holding realisable property
69. Trial Court and proceedings
70. Collaboration with public agencies
71. Confidentiality
72. Compensation
The Court may order restitution to be made or compensation to be paid to a victim of a serious offence under this Act.73. Regulations
The Minister may by legislative instrument make Regulations for74. Interpretation
In this Act unless the context otherwise requires,“accountant” means a person registered under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1963 (Act 176).“accredited valuation officer” means a person licenced by the Ghana Institution of Surveyors;“authorised officer” means an officer of the Office or any public officer authorised by law to exercise police powers;“communication” means any transmission, emission or reception of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds or intelligence of any nature through any communication or computer system;“computer system” means an electronic, magnetic, optical, electron chemical or other data processing device, including the physical components and any removable storage medium that is for the time being part of the device or connected to the device, or a group of such inter-connected or related devices, one or more of which is capable of(a)containing data, or(b)performing a logical, arithmetic or any other function in relation to data;“confiscation” means the permanent deprivation of funds or other assets by order of a competent authority or Court;“Court” means High Court or Circuit Court;“courier service” means a service for the receipt and delivery of correspondence, items of value or both, such as parcels and packets, for which a postage stamp is not required;“currency” means(a)coins, or notes of the Republic or of another country that is designated as legal tender and that circulates as and is customarily used and accepted as a medium of exchange in the country of issue,(b)“travellers” cheques or other financial instruments denominated in the currency of Ghana or in foreign currency, or(c)any right to receive coins or notes in respect of a credit or balance with a financial institution or a non-resident;“cyber activity offence” means an activity that involves the use of a computer system;“deriving benefit” means benefit derived or obtained by a person or otherwise accruing to another person at the request or direction of the first person;“Executive Director” means the person appointed in section 11;“gift” includes a transfer of property by a person to another person directly or indirectly before or after the commission of a serious offence by the first person for a consideration the value of which is significantly less than the value of the consideration provided by the first person, and to the extent of the difference between the market value of the property transferred and the consideration provided by the transferee;“institution of relevance” means a party or parties relevant to the action;“interest” in relation to property, means(a)a legal or equitable estate or interest in the property, or(b)a right, power or privilege in connection with the property;“living expenses” include provision for food, clothing, utilities, school fees and medical expenses;“Minister” means the Attorney-General and Minister responsible for Justice;“Office” means the Economic and Organised Crime Office established in section 1 of this Act;“organised crime” means a recurring serious offence committed by two or more persons working in concert;“police officer” means a policeman who is not below the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police;“post” means a system for the collection, despatch or conveyance of postal articles;“postal articles” include letters, postcards, reply postcards, lettercards, newspapers, books, packets, printed paper, pattern or sample packet, small packet or parcel and every other packet article when in course of conveyance by post and includes a telegram when conveyed by post;“postal service” means any service licensed to be rendered under the Postal and Courier Services Regulatory Commission Act, 2003 (Act 649);“prescribed” means prescribed by Regulations;“predicate offence” means an offence as a result of which property or benefit has been generated;“premises” includes any house, building, structure, tent, caravan, ship, boat, aircraft and mechanically propelled vehicle;“proceeds of crime” means any property derived from or obtained through the commission of a serious offence;“property” means assets of any kind situated in the country or elsewhere whether movable or immovable, tangible or intangible, legal documents and instruments evidencing title of interest in the assets;“property of or in the possession or control of a person” includes a gift made by that person;“public agency” means a body set up by the Government in the public interest with or without an Act of Parliament;“public debt” means expenditure incurred from the Consolidated Fund, Contingency Fund and other funds established by or under an Act of Parliament;“public officer” means a person who holds a public office;“realisable property” includes(a)property held by a defendant who has directly or indirectly made a gift caught by this Act,(b)property held by a person to whom a defendant has directly or indirectly made a gift caught by this Act, and(c)currency;“record” means recorded information regardless of form or medium created, received and maintained by any institution or individual in the pursuance of the legal obligations or transactions of the institution or individual;“Republic” means the Republic of Ghana;“respondent” means the person who is the subject of an application for a confiscation order or pecuniary penalty order;“revenue agency” means an agency authorised by law to collect revenue;“security agency” includes the Police, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service, the Immigration Service and Bureau of National Investigation;“seizure” means the temporary prohibition of the transfer, conversion, disposition or movement of property or the temporary assumption of the custody or control of property on the basis of a Court order;“serious offence” includes(a)participation in an organised criminal group, terrorism and terrorist financing, money laundering, human trafficking, people smuggling, sexual exploitation, illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, illicit arms trafficking, trafficking in stolen and other goods, corruption and bribery, serious fraud, counterfeiting and piracy of products, smuggling, extortion, forgery, insider trading and market manipulation,(b)murder, grievous bodily harm, armed robbery or theft where there are predicate offences for a serious offence, and(c)any other similar offence or related prohibited activity punishable with imprisonment for a period of not less than twelve months;“tainted property” means property,(a)used in or in connection with the commission of a serious offence;(b)derived, obtained or realized as a result of the commission of a serious offence; and“trust” includes an executorship, administratorship, guardianship, of children or the office, committee or receiver of the estate of a person with mental disorder or a person incapable of managing that person’s own affairs, a charitable trust, family trust and an organisation.75. Consequential amendments
The Narcotic Drugs (Control, Enforcement and Sanctions) Act 1990 (PNDCL 236) is amended as specified in the Schedule.76. Repeal and savings
77. Transitional provisions
History of this document
11 May 2020 amendment not yet applied
Amended by
Narcotics Control Commission, 2020
03 January 2018 amendment not yet applied
Amended by
Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017
07 September 2010 this version
Commenced
06 September 2010
Assented to