Editorial by Ghanaian Times: Support EOCO strategic plan to succeed!

Perpetrators of economic and organ­ised crimes are difficult to control because of various factors, including the pro­ceeds criminals derive from their illegal activities and their modus operandi.

Today, criminals employ sophisticated ways to outwit people and even the state as an entity.

Combatting crime there­fore calls for multifaceted approach, including collabora­tions among relevant institu­tions.

This is why the launch of a five-year strategic plan by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) cannot pass without some comments.

We have learnt that the current plan is coming in after its predecessor covering the period 2013-2017 elapsed.

One wonders why there should be a six-year lull before the previous plan could be replaced.

That situation notwithstand­ing, we commend the EOCO for not waiting for eternity but breaking the lull.

However, we wish to sug­gest that because the criminals are always changing their modus operandi in the bid to outwit security personnel and every­one, EOCO should deem it expedient to have a living plan that can counter strategies or approaches adopted by the criminals at any time.

The current strategic plan has an objective which we be­lieve is critical to its effective implementation.

We know the EOCO has been partnering law enforce­ment agencies and other rele­vant institutions over the years to accomplish its tasks.

However, this time, it says the partnership is meant to develop the office to be oper­ationally-resilient and sustain­able to help disrupt organised criminal activities.

We are happy with this be­cause it means that the EOCO is going to be more proactive than it has ever been.

If EOCO agrees with our position, then we can further say that approach would save the country and certain target­ed organisations and individu­als some peace of mind.

We know how organised crime involves highly cen­tralised enterprises set up for the purposes of engaging in illegal activities such as cargo theft, fraud, kidnapping and robbery, which usually claim lives.

It also involves human traf­ficking for various purposes, including prostitution.

Therefore, if EOCO can be proactive enough to counter a good number of these crimes in the country, the benefits to the state, organisations and individuals will be enormous.

Some of the organised criminal activities like cargo theft and robbery can collapse businesses and lead to loss of investments and jobs.

Definitely, there is the likelihood that some of the criminals would have their way to some extent but must be fished out and punished.

This is where another objec­tive of the new strategic plan comes in handy.

EOCO says the five-year strategic plan has an aim to recover and manage proceeds of crime worth GH¢350 mil­lion by June 2028.

The Ghanaian Times be­lieves that when such pro­ceeds of crimes are retrieved from the criminals concerned and punished in addition, it would serve as a deterrent to others that it is not worth the efforts to plan crime and carry it out.

Consequently, organised crime can be drastically reduced, if not completely eradicated from the country.

However, we know that like any other initiative, what the EOCO has set itself to achieve can only succeed when supported with the needed funding and encouragement, so the government must ensure this.