The Police have arrested a convicted fraudster, Eric Afoakwa, popularly known as “Chad”, bringing to an end years of evading justice after he was sentenced in absentia by the Accra High Court for multiple financial crimes.

Afoakwa, who had been declared wanted by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), was apprehended on Monday, July 6, 2026, while allegedly preparing to flee the country.

According to a statement issued by the Ghana Police Service, the arrest was carried out by officers from the Anti-Armed Robbery Unit acting on the directive of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

The arrest marks a major breakthrough in the enforcement of a High Court judgment delivered in 2019, when Afoakwa was convicted in absentia on five of six criminal charges brought against him.

Presiding over the case, Justice Georgina Mensah Datsa found him guilty of money laundering, defrauding by false pretences, forgery of official documents and tax evasion.

The court subsequently sentenced him to eight years’ imprisonment on the various counts, with the sentences to run concurrently.

In addition to the custodial sentence, the court ordered Afoakwa to refund US$132,660 to the complainant in the case.

Following the conviction, however, Afoakwa went into hiding, prompting EOCO to declare him a wanted person and appeal to the public for information that could lead to his arrest.

After years of evading law enforcement, the Police said intelligence gathered by security agencies led to his arrest before he could reportedly leave Ghana.

The Ghana Police Service confirmed that Afoakwa will be handed over to EOCO to facilitate the enforcement of the court’s judgment and the execution of all outstanding legal processes.