The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), has rejected the Accra High Court’s directive that the office return the money it had seized from Cecilia Dapaah in the ongoing investigation.
On Thursday, August 31, 2023, an Accra High Court ordered the OSP to return the money within seven days and to revoke its August 9 decision to freeze her Dollar and Cedi accounts.
However, in a statement in response to the court’s order, the OSP said it respected the instruction but disagreed with it because it was incorrect.
“While the OSP respects the Court’s decision, it disagrees with the decision of the Court. First, the OSP believes that the Court’s computation of the time limitation is, with respect, erroneous. The OSP searched three (3) private residences associated with Ms. Dapaah over the course of two (2) weeks. The searches and discovery were ongoing during that period. There is little doubt that the OSP filed its application within the statutory window once the search and discovery window is considered.”
The OSP further clarified that, contrary to what has been implied, it did not base it’s decision to freeze the accounts of the former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources on public opinion.
“The freezing order was not based on public sentiments. Rather, it was based on court processes filed in a criminal matter before the Circuit Court, Accra involving Ms. Dapaah as the complainant. Further, the freezing order was effected to aid the investigation, as required by law, not on the basis of the investigation, as indicated by the Court. Therefore, it cannot be said that the OSP did not carry out proper investigations to warrant the freezing order. The investigation has only commenced, and it is ongoing.”
Following the discovery that Madam Dapaah was keeping more than $1 million in her home, the OSP opened an investigation into her for corruption and crimes related to it.
Find the OSP’s statement below:
