Cecilia DapaahÂ
Former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, has filed an affidavit at the High Court challenging the (OSP) Office of the Special Prosecutor’s second attempt to secure an order confirming the seizure of money discovered in her home.
This comes after the OSP seized $590,000 and GH¢2,862,007 from Dapaah’s residence following allegations of theft.
However, in August, an Accra High Court dismissed the OSP’s first attempt to confirm the seizure, ordering the return of Dapaah’s properties within seven days. The OSP has announced that it complied with the court’s order, but later re-seized Dapaah’s properties to aid ongoing investigations, claiming reasonable grounds to suspect the cash sums to be tainted property.
The OSP’s basis for the second seizure is that the cash sums are unexplained and not linked to any disclosed lawful source of income. They argue that Dapaah and her husband, Daniel Osei-Kufour, provided varying and conflicting accounts of the ownership and source of the stolen money.
The OSP’s motion also alleges that Dapaah used a concealed identity and aliases to sell property, and held undisclosed real estate and a company called “Dermacare Cosmetics”.
Dapaah’s affidavit in opposition describes the OSP’s action as “absurd, grounded on false allegations” and a disregard of Act 959.
She denies the OSP’s claim that her husband is covering up for her and states that the OSP has shown prejudice and lack of impartiality. Dapaah argues that the funds in her accounts include earnings from past employments, pension, and investments, which cannot be considered tainted property.
The OSP’s application was scheduled to be heard on October 18, but Dapaah’s lawyer has filed an application for an abridgment of time, requesting an earlier hearing.
The lawyer argues that the OSP has prior knowledge of Dapaah’s opposition and would not be prejudiced by an abridged timeline.
The application for an abridgment of time will be heard on October 11.
As the case continues, both parties await the court’s ruling on the confirmation of the seizure and freezing of Dapaah’s assets.
By Vincent Kubi