Cecilia Abena Dapaah
In a surprising turn of events, additional sums of money have been found at the residence of Cecilia Abena Dapaah, the former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, DGN Online can report.
The findings amount to almost GHC6,000,000. This comes after officials initially recovered over GHC2.7 million stashed in the same location.
According to court documents filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), the discoveries have raised suspicions of corruption and corruption-related offenses.
The OSP is responsible for investigating and prosecuting such cases and recovering the proceeds of corruption.
The revelations came to light after criminal proceedings were initiated against four individuals accused of theft from Dapaah’s residence.
The charges alleged that between July and October 2022, valuable items, including cash amounting to $1 million USD and €300,000, were stolen from her residence in Abelemkpe, Accra.
It was later discovered that Dapaah initially claimed that $800,000 of the stolen amount belonged to her deceased brother, while ₵300,000 was for her mother’s funeral. However, she did not disclose the origins of the remaining $200,000 and €300,000.
Following negative media coverage and public scrutiny, Dapaah released a public statement highlighting inconsistencies between the amounts of money being discussed and the original complaint to the police. Consequently, she resigned from her position on July 22, 2023.
Based on intelligence gathered, the OSP directed a full investigation into the suspected corruption and corruption-related offenses involving Dapaah. On July 24, 2023, she was arrested on charges related to these offenses were read to her.
Subsequent searches at three residential properties associated with her in different parts of Accra led to the discovery of $590,000 and ₵2.73 million at her Abelemkpe residence. The OSP seized the cash on reasonable grounds that it was a suspected tainted property.
In a directive issued on July 31, 2023, the Attorney General ordered the Police Service to investigate the ownership and source of the amounts reportedly stolen from Dapaah’s residence. This directive affirmed the reasonableness of the OSP’s investigation into the large sums of cash associated with Dapaah.
Furthermore, the OSP issued a freezing order against Dapaah’s bank accounts and investments at Prudential Bank Limited and Societe Generale Bank. These measures were taken to prevent any concealment or loss of funds and are in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.
In summary, the OSP believes that the seized cash is a suspected tainted property that needs to be prevented from concealment or loss. They are also investigating Dapaah for suspected corruption and corruption-related offenses, with the intent to potentially issue a confiscation order in accordance with the law.
The court will now decide whether to confirm the seizure of the suspected tainted property and the freezing order. The OSP remains committed to uncovering the truth behind these allegations and holding those responsible accountable for their actions.
By Vincent Kubi