Minister for Sanitation, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, has stepped down from her position owing to pressure from National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament 48 hours after it was revealed that she had lost millions of dollars and cedis in her home.

Five individuals are facing charges for their alleged involvement in stealing millions of dollars and euros from Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah's house.

At an Accra Circuit Court, Patience and Sarah are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit a crime and five counts of stealing, which include amounts of US$1 million, €300,000, and millions of Ghana Cedis.

Clothes valued at GH¢95,000, handbags, perfumes, and jewelry worth US$95,000 were reportedly stolen as well.

According to the minister, what is being reported in the media regarding the looted cash has some "inconsistencies". She made this known in a press statement dated July 21, ahead of her resignation on July 22.

In her resignation letter, Madam Dapaah reiterated her earlier position stating that "Whereas I can state emphatically that those figures do not represent correctly what my husband and I reported to the Police, I am very much aware of the import of such stories around someone in my position."

After news broke that Madam Cecilia Dapaah had millions of dollars in her home, some Ghanaians questioned the means in which she acquired them.

This has prompted Madam Dapaah to resign as she does not "want this matter to become a preoccupation of government and a hindrance to the work of government at such a crucial time."

She has assured of her willingness to cooperate fully with all state agencies to enable them fully establish the facts.

"I have no doubt whatsoever that at the end of the processes, it will be fully established that I have conducted myself with integrity during my period in public service and I will be fully exonerated from all the allegations that have filled the public domain in the past 24 hours," she added.

Madam Dapaah also used the opportunity to thank President Akufo-Addo for the opportunity given to serve Ghanaians.

Other culprits

29-year-old plumber, Benjamin, is also accused of dishonestly receiving GH¢180,000, whereas Kweku Botwe, a 65-year-old trader, has been charged for dishonestly receiving GH¢50,000.

The third, Malik Dauda, 23, who is unemployed, is said to have dishonestly received GH¢1 million.

The charges include “conspiracy to commit a crime to wit: stealing: contrary to sections 23(1) and 124(1) of the criminal offenses act of 1960, Act 29.”

What 'stolen money' was allegedly spent on

In Court on Thursday, July 20, it was revealed that Patience, who had a duplicate key to the room of the couple was once caught red-handed by Mr Kuffour.

It has emerged in court the many alleged activities Patience engaged in with the amount of money stolen while in hiding with one Benjamin, her boyfriend, in Tamale.

Per reports, while in Tamale, Patience and Benjamin leased a 3-bedroom apartment at the cost of GH¢105,600 and rented a store at the cost of GH¢120,000.

She is also accused of purchasing 3-bedroom house at a cost of US$70,000 at Amrahia. She later furnished the house with the following items – a double decker refrigerator, water dispenser, a television set, washing machine and a chest cooler among others.

Patience is said to have also gifted her boyfriend a Hyundai Elantra at the cost of GH¢80,000. But he later sold it to purchase a Honda Civic.

After showering gifts on her boyfriend, Patience reciprocated the gesture to her father, whom she gave GH¢50,000, and her former boyfriend, who received an amount of GH¢1 million.

Sarah on the other hand, is said to have purchased a 3-bedroom house at Budumburam.

The court granted Sarah bail in the amount of GH¢1 million, and two sureties are required to deposit their Ghana cards with the court’s registrar.

The bail conditions are however subject to review as Judge Susana Ekuful was serving as a relief judge at the time.

During her briefing, Judge Susana Ekuful disclosed that Patience, along with her alleged boyfriends and father, has been remanded into lawful custody.

The court has adjourned the case to August 2, 2023, to allow for further investigations.

NDC MPs wanted Minister sacked

Certain members of the Minority Members of Parliament expressed their view that Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Dapaah, acted unlawfully by keeping significant amounts of money in her house, which has allegedly been stolen by her house helps.

Member of Parliament for Bole Bamboi, Yussif Sulemana, called on President Akufo-Addo to immediately dismiss the Minister while investigations into the source and legitimacy of the money take place.

He emphasized that such actions would demonstrate a commitment to fighting corruption within the government.

The NDC MP for the Kumbungu constituency, Hamza Adam, also expressed shock at the situation, stating that if proven true, the Minister's possession of such large sums of money at her residence would be unlawful.

Both MPs have demanded a thorough investigation to ascertain the origin of the funds and appropriate legal actions to be taken.