The Opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC, Flagbearer for the 2024 General elections, John Mahama who has already threatened to deal with the appointees of the Akufo-Addo-led government related to any corrupt deals if he wins the upcoming elections says he will investigate the scandal involving former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah.
According to the former President, who has records related to corruption scandals before leaving office in a post on X, “My government will reopen investigations into alleged acts of corruption and graft in the Cecelia Dapaah case.”
The former President’s comments follow the Attorney General’s advice against conducting money laundering investigations into the former Sanitation Minister’s affairs by the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO).
This advice was given after the Attorney General’s determination that the request by the Special Prosecutor’s Office (OSP) to EOCO to initiate money laundering investigations into Cecilia Dapaah’s affairs lacked a solid foundation.
The OSP requested this after determining that the case involving over $1 million cash found in the former minister’s house, which was discovered by its officers, did not fall under its jurisdiction. Instead, it raised money laundering concerns.
The NDC Flagbearer is bent on dealing with NPP officers if he gets power on the claims that the NPP members are corrupt and have been left unchecked and have become rampant across the country.
Speaking at a forum on his campaign tour at Tegbi, a small fishing town in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region on Thursday, the former President empathically stated, “So I have said if they can’t deal with it when we come, we will deal with it for them. When NDC comes, we will hold those who have misconducted themselves accountable”.
The former President further lamented that “Corruption has broken loose; if it was in the IGP’s custody, it has broken jail. It is running all over the country. It is obvious the NPP has no desire or no ability to check corruption”.
About Cecilia Dapaah’s scandal, the OSP requested this after determining that the case involving over $1 million cash found in the former minister’s house, which was discovered by its officers, did not fall under its jurisdiction. Instead, it raised money laundering concerns.
This information was disclosed after several months of joint investigation with agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States.
However, upon a request for advice on the issue by EOCO, the Attorney General’s office found that the OSP did not submit the report on the joint investigation to EOCO and has not responded to EOCO’s request to provide its findings.
The Attorney General’s office said the docket presented to EOCO only includes the OSP’s letter transmitting the docket, the diary of action, statements recorded during the investigation, and letters written by OSP to other institutions like the CID and Banks during the inquiry.
The AG’s further analysis of the docket revealed that the OSP did not find any corruption or corruption-related offences against Cecilia Dapaah.
However, the Attorney General’s office believes that the key to a money laundering charge is gains obtained from criminal proceeds resulting from illegal activity.
The Attorney General’s office concludes that without any criminal issues associated with the properties of the NPP Politician, there is no basis for a money laundering investigation.
-BY Daniel Bampoe