Former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah's plea to halt the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) from persisting in freezing her accounts and confiscating recovered cash from her Abelemkpe residence has been postponed to February 1, 2024.

The OSP froze Dapaah's Prudential Bank and Société Générale bank accounts after a substantial amount of money was discovered during a search at her home.

On August 31, 2023, the High Court in Accra instructed the OSP to return the $590,000 and GH¢2.73 million seized from Cecilia Dapaah's home within seven days.

In response, the OSP disagreed with the court's decision and asked the Human Rights Court to allow the continued freezing of the former minister's properties and cash.

On October 9, 2023, Cecilia Dapaah, in an application, sought an expedited resolution of the freeze and seizure case.

The OSP announced on its Facebook page that the case has been adjourned to February 1.

“The Human Rights Court sitting in Accra has adjourned to February 1, 2024, the case in which former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah and her husband, Daniel Osei Kuffuor, have filed an interlocutory injunction application against the OSP to restrain the Office from continuing to freeze Madam Dapaah’s accounts and seize cash recovered from their residence.”

Background

Madam Dapaah, the former Sanitation Minister, gained widespread attention in July 2023 when the Chronicle Newspaper reported that her domestic helpers were taken to court for allegedly stealing $1 million, 300,000 euros, several million cedis, and personal belongings of the former minister and her husband, valued at thousands of Ghana Cedis and dollars.

Following public outcry, Cecilia Dapaah resigned from her position and was subsequently arrested by the OSP, later being granted bail.

On Monday, July 24, 2023, officials from the Office of the Special Prosecutor conducted a search at the former Minister of Sanitation's residence.

The OSP reported discovering US$590,000 and GHC2.730,000 in cash at her apartment. Immediate action was taken by the Office of the Special Prosecutor to seize these substantial cash sums as crucial evidence for the ongoing investigation.