High Court orders OSP to return Cecelia Dapaah’s seized funds in seven days amid ongoing corruption investigation

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), has been ordered by an Accra High Court to return money seized from Former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah, within seven days.

The former Sanitation Minister found herself entangled in a legal dispute when her assets were seized by the OSP. However, the court has overturned this action, directing the OSP to return the confiscated funds to her.

The chain of events leading to this court order traces back to a legal dispute that emerged when the OSP confiscated assets belonging to Madam Dapaah during an ongoing investigation into corruption and Corruption-related offenses.

The tipping point was a revelation of staggering proportions: it was alleged that Cecilia Dapaah had been harboring more than $1 million in her personal residence. This startling revelation came to light following reports of stolen funds attributed to her domestic staff.

Prompted by these reports, the Office of the Special Prosecutor launched an extensive search of Madam Dapaah’s various properties.

The search yielded astonishing results, with substantial sums of money being uncovered. A significant sum of $590,000 in cash was discovered during a search at Dapaah’s Abelemkpe residence. In addition to this, a staggering amount of GHC2,730,000 in cash was also located at the same address.

The OSP, deeming these cash sums as crucial evidence, promptly seized the funds to support their ongoing investigation. The OSP further took the step of freezing the former minister’s cedi and dollar accounts, pending further inquiries.

Background

The backdrop to this unfolding drama emerged on July 21 when it was revealed that two of Cecilia Dapaah’s domestic employees were facing charges in an Accra Circuit Court.

The charges implicated them in the theft of $1 million, €300,000, and millions of Ghanaian cedis from Madam Dapaah’s residence in October 2022.

The duo, 18-year-old Patience Botwe and 30-year-old Sarah Agyei, were charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and multiple counts of theft involving significant sums of money.

Cecilia Abena Dapaah, aged 68, has contested the figures presented in court documents. Nevertheless, the allegations have sparked outrage across Ghana, especially since the country’s cedi currency has been experiencing rapid devaluation, with some attributing this to hoarding of foreign currencies.

The involvement of a government minister in holding foreign currency added a layer of shock to the situation.

Cecilia Dapaah’s resignation and arrest

In an attempt to manage the crisis, Cecilia Dapaah resigned from her position as Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, a post she had held for five years.

She cited her desire not to hinder the government’s work and expressed confidence that any investigation would clear her name. However, her resignation failed to quell public anger. Just three days after her resignation, she was arrested by the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

The arrest was linked to “suspected corruption and corruption-related offenses regarding large amounts of money and other valuable items reportedly stolen from her residence.”

Following her arrest, searches were conducted at both her official and private residences in Accra. The incident has cast a shadow over her political career, as she had served as a minister since President Nana Akufo-Addo’s election in 2017.

Genesis of the case

The case revolves around allegations that Mrs Dapaah’s domestic employees were involved in a series of burglaries at her private residence. One was reportedly acting as a lookout while the other was accused of stealing cash and other items.

The delay in reporting the thefts to the police remains unexplained, but during this period, the accused individuals are alleged to have engaged in extravagant spending sprees. These expenditures included purchases of property, household appliances, and vehicles.

President Nana Akufo-Addo’s response to the situation garnered criticism from anti-corruption advocates, as it appeared to prejudge the investigation’s outcome. He expressed confidence that Madam Dapaah’s integrity would be established.

“I am confident… that at the end of the day, your integrity, whilst in office, will be established,” he wrote to Ms Dapaah.