Cecilia Dapaah
In a latest development, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has filed a motion at the High Court seeking confirmation of seizure and freezing orders of the financial assets belonging to former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Dapaah.
The hearing for this motion has been scheduled for October 18, 2023.
It would be recalled that on August 9, the OSP had frozen the Cedi and Dollar bank accounts of Cecilia Dapaah.
However, on August 31, the High Court in Accra overturned this decision and ordered that the seized funds be returned to the former minister within seven days. Additionally, the court directed the OSP to unfreeze Cecilia Dapaah’s accounts.
Despite this ruling, the OSP invoked its powers to retake custody of the money shortly after the High Court’s directive to return the seized funds. Now, the OSP has sought confirmation from the High Court for these seizure and freezing orders to progress with their investigation.
The background to this case involves an incident in July 2022, where Cecilia Dapaah’s domestic helps were allegedly involved in the theft of various currencies and personal effects valued at thousands of Ghana Cedis and dollars. Following a public uproar, the former minister resigned from her position and was subsequently arrested by the OSP.
During a search of her residence on July 24, 2023, the OSP discovered US$590,000 and GHC2.7 million in cash.
These significant amounts of money were seized as crucial evidence for the ongoing investigation. Additionally, the OSP froze seven bank accounts belonging to Cecilia Dapaah.
As the case progresses, it remains to be seen how the High Court will rule on the motion filed by the OSP for confirmation of the seizure and freezing orders.
This development highlights the continued efforts by the OSP to investigate and tackle corruption within the country.
By Vincent Kubi