Ambassador Diana Acconcia, Head of the European Union’s (EU) Delegation to Ghana, has assigned reasons to why Ghana was blacklisted by the EU in May this year.
Ghana, along with Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mauritius were blacklisted by the EU in May for money-laundering, putting financial transactions involving Ghana and the other countries under strict scrutiny.
Countries are usually blacklisted by the EU if found to be engaging in money-laundering and or financing terrorist activities.
But speaking on Accra-based Asaase radio, Ambassador Diana Acconcia asserted that contrary to media reportage, Ghana was not blacklisted for engaging in money-laundering activities. But rather, the country was blacklisted for failing to comply with checks that could forestall possible money-laundering.
“There is no evidence of money laundering activities in Ghana, because if there were, the EU would have ceased doing business with the current Government,” she stated.
Her assertions prove to be true especially when the EU, some few days ago signed two financial agreements worth €92.9 million with the Finance Ministry to support Ghana’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as prevent electoral violence and enhance security in the northern border regions of the country.