A high-stakes legal and institutional battle is unfolding between the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and a prominent public official, Gabriel Tanko Kwamigah-Atokple, over allegations tied to a multi-million cedi gold transaction that has since taken a dramatic turn in the courts.

The controversy traces back to November 2025, when EOCO began investigating Sesi-Edem Company Limited, a firm founded by Kwamigah-Atokple, following a petition by J.G Resources Ltd in collaboration with Unigold Trading LLC.

The petition alleged that the company had engaged in defrauding by false pretences and money laundering in a gold supply deal involving 50 kilograms of gold valued at over GH¢57 million.

EOCO, acting under provisions of the Economic and Organised Crime Act, 2010 (Act 804), as well as the Criminal Offences Act and the Anti-Money Laundering Act, moved swiftly to invite the businessman for questioning.

However, according to the agency, he failed to honour the invitation.Subsequent preliminary investigations reportedly suggested that the company’s bank accounts contained proceeds of suspected criminal activity, leading to a freeze on the accounts in January 2026 to prevent dissipation of funds.

The company challenged the action in court in February 2026, arguing that EOCO had overstepped its mandate. While the legal battle intensified, EOCO maintained that its actions were lawful and necessary to preserve suspected proceeds of crime pending investigations.

However, in a significant twist, the Adentan High Court delivered a ruling on March 19, 2026, that fundamentally altered the trajectory of the case.

The Court found that EOCO had acted without lawful basis and ruled that the freezing of the company’s accounts was unjustified. It further held that the matter was civil in nature, not criminal, and ordered the immediate defreezing of the accounts.

The ruling effectively cleared Kwamigah-Atokple of the fraud allegations, with the Court criticising what it described as an abuse of state power in what appeared to be a commercial dispute between private entities.

Despite the judgment, tensions escalated further. Kwamigah-Atokple accused EOCO, led by Acting Executive Director Raymond Archer, of defying the court order and continuing to pursue him publicly, including declaring him wanted without due process.

In a strongly worded response dated March 30, 2026, the Council of State member demanded an immediate public apology from EOCO’s leadership, accusing the agency of reputational damage, abuse of power, and disregard for judicial authority.

He also petitioned John Mahama to dismiss both Archer and his deputy, citing what he described as a pattern of misconduct and institutional overreach.

Kwamigah-Atokple maintains that the dispute stems from a legitimate gold supply agreement spanning June 2025 to June 2026, under which more than half of the contracted gold had already been delivered by November 2025.

He argues that with the contract still in force, there was no legal basis to criminalise the outstanding balance.

He further insists that his company complied fully with EOCO’s requests, submitting all required documentation and making its managing director available for questioning.

As of now, EOCO has not formally responded to the latest accusations, leaving the matter hanging in a tense standoff that could soon return to the courts.