Cecilia Dapaah Scandal: Special Prosecutor Finds Over GH¢48 Million In Former Minister’s Accounts
- The Special Prosecutor found over GH¢48 million in former sanitation minister Cecilia Dapaah's accounts
- The former minister had accounts with Prudential Bank and Société Générale which contained the monies
- The Special Prosecutor earlier froze the bank accounts of Dapaah as part of the corruption probe into her wealth
- A legal practitioner, Justice Srem-Sai, told YEN.com.gh that he expected the source of the funds to be established during the special prosecutor's probe
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The Office of the Special Prosecutor has found over GH¢48 million in former sanitation minister Cecilia Dapaah’s bank and investment accounts.
According to reports, investigators are tracking $5 million and found GH¢48 million in Dapaah’s Prudential Bank accounts.
Source: Facebook
Joy News reported on Thursday, August 10, 2023, that investigators also found GH¢1 million in investments and GH¢700,000 in cash in her Société Générale account.
Details from the Special Prosecutor's office also indicated that $590,000 was discovered during an earlier search of the Dapaah's Abelemkpe home.
Investigators also found GH¢2,730,000 in cash at the former minister's home.
Commenting on the developments in the case to YEN.com.gh, Justice Srem-Sai, a lawyer and lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Public Management, said the bigger question in the case remained how the former minister made all this money.
Srem-Sai said he expected the special prosecutor to verify the sources of the funds that have been linked to Dapaah.
"So, the OSP can verify the sources of the monies and if they are from corruption or embezzlement, then, obviously, one would expect the law to take its course," the lawyer said.
Sanctions connected to foreign currency possession
Moving forward, Srem-Sai noted that the former minister could also be caught up in the Bank of Ghana's moves to clamp down on illegal foreign exchange operations.
He said the former minister could be charged with unlicensed or illicit dealing in a foreign currency under the Foreign Exchange Act.
"And if it is established that the monies are proceeds of corruption, then, the OSP could retrieve them for the State together with other criminal sanctions," he added.
YEN.com.gh reported earlier that Dapaah's accounts had been frozen as part of a corruption investigation.
Dapaah is under public scrutiny after she lost sums of $1 million, €300,000 and an undisclosed amount of Ghana cedis. The monies had been stolen by her house helps.
The scandal eventually led to the resignation of the then-minister from her sanitation ministry portfolio.
Cecilia Dapaah previously arrested and granted bail
Dapaah was granted bail after earlier being arrested by the Office of the Special Prosecutor for alleged corruption.
YEN.com.gh reported that she was released from her detention when arrested on July 25, 2023.
Before being granted bail, Dapaah spent the day being questioned by the Special Prosecutor after reports that she had millions in cash stolen from her home.
Seven facing prosecution for stealing from Dapaah
YEN.com.gh recently reported that Dapaah amended her charge sheet against the thieves who stole from her.
Seven people are currently facing prosecution for the theft.
She has also assumed ownership of some stolen $800,000 that some have claimed belonged to her late brother.
Three more persons had been included to the initial five suspects in the case, while one person was discharged.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
