Former Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, Cecilia Dapaah, finds herself entangled in an ongoing legal saga as the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) continues to seize her assets in defiance of a recent High Court decision.
In a surprising turn of events, the OSP has decided to maintain custody of the money seized from Cecilia Dapaah’s residence, even after the Accra High Court ordered its return. The court had also unfrozen her bank accounts last week, but the OSP argues that ongoing investigations into the source of the funds necessitate their continued custody.
The OSP’s statement emphasized, “Although the OSP in a statement said it had complied with the order, it said investigations were still ongoing and believes the money in question is tainted, hence the decision to take custody of the amount.”
Furthermore, the Special Prosecutor has taken the extraordinary step of re-freezing Cecilia Dapaah’s bank accounts and investments, citing the need to facilitate the ongoing investigation.
“Consequently, subsequent to the indicated ruling and order of the High Court and the compliance by the OSP with said ruling and order, the Special Prosecutor considers that freezing the bank accounts and investments of Ms. Dapaah is necessary to facilitate the ongoing investigation,” the statement read.
This latest move, invoking statutory powers under section 38(1) of Act 959 and regulation 19(1) of L.I. 2374, comes as a surprise, as it contradicts the court’s decision to unfreeze Cecilia Dapaah’s assets.
The OSP also expressed suspicions that the seized cash amounts may be tainted property, justifying their continued seizure to prevent concealment or loss.
“Further, subsequent to the indicated ruling and order of the High Court and the compliance by the OSP with said ruling and order, the Special Prosecutor considers that he has reasonable grounds to suspect that the cash amounts seized from and returned to Ms. Dapaah are tainted property, and it is necessary to exercise the power of seizure to prevent the concealment or loss of said cash amounts. Therefore, the Special Prosecutor has again invoked his statutory power under section 32(1)(a) of Act 959 by directing the seizure from Ms. Dapaah of the cash amounts previously seized from her. Authorized officers of the OSP have seized the said cash amounts from Ms. Dapaah.”
This legal saga began in July 2023 when allegations surfaced that domestic helpers at Ms. Dapaah’s residence had been involved in the theft of a substantial sum of money, foreign currency, and personal belongings. The former minister’s resignation followed the public outcry over these allegations.
In the subsequent investigations, officials from the Office of the Special Prosecutor found and seized US$590,000 and GHC2.730,000 in cash at Ms. Dapaah’s residence. They also froze seven of her bank accounts as part of their ongoing efforts to unravel the mystery surrounding the source of the funds.
As the legal battle continues, Cecilia Dapaah remains at the center of a complex web of allegations and investigations, with her financial assets under scrutiny by the OSP.