Five people have petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) investigate former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah for allegedly possessing assets unequal to her income.
The petitioners, Mensah Thompson, Al-Hassan Kwadwo Baidoo, Bernard Anbataayela Mornah, Ransford Antwi, and Joyce Atitso, are demanding extensive investigation into Madam Dapaah’s finances.
The controversy around Madam Dapaah started with a theft at her home, which led to her resignation in July 2023. The stolen items included significant amounts of money—$1 million, €300,000, and GH¢350,000—as well as luxury handbags worth $35,000 and jewelry valued at $95,000.
The revelation of these sums caused public outrage during Ghana’s economic difficulties and the depreciation of the cedi.
Following her resignation, Madam Dapaah was arrested by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), which found over GH¢48 million in her accounts.
The investigation, which involved the FBI, lasted almost seven months before the OSP dropped the charges due to insufficient evidence and handed the case to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO). EOCO later returned the case to the OSP, also citing a lack of evidence.
In their May 20 request, the petitioners asked CHRAJ to examine Madam Dapaah’s assets, which include $1,390,000; €300,000, GH₵3,212,007; and multiple bank accounts in both cedis and dollars.
They stated, “…More importantly, we are fortified in the need for this investigation because during interrogation by the OSP as to the source of her income, Madam Cecilia Dapaah could not give any proper explanation.”