Going to the police to report a theft at her home must have seemed like the correct thing to do for a government minister in Ghana, but when she was arrested, it backfired horribly.

Cecilia Abena Dapaah had a sizable sum of money stolen, according to a court charge sheet linked to individuals suspected of the theft that was filed last Thursday.

It mentions a "cash sum" of $1 million (£780,000), 300,000 euros ($333,000), and 350,000 Ghana cedis ($30,000), as well as further personal stuff such purses for $35,000 and jewelry worth $95,000.

In her resignation letter, Ms. Dapaah refuted the reports claiming that she and her husband possessed "various huge sums of foreign currencies and millions of Ghana cedis," stating that these reports did not accurately represent what they had reported to the police.

President Nana Akufo-Addo's response to the situation disappointed anti-corruption campaigners, as it seemed to pre-judge the outcome of the ongoing investigations. He expressed confidence that Ms. Dapaah's integrity during her time in office would ultimately be proven.

Having served as a minister since President Akufo-Addo's initial election in 2017, Ms. Dapaah held roles in both aviation and, later, water and sanitation. As one of only three women in the president's cabinet, she was well-known.

Now, her political future remains uncertain as the special prosecutor conducts an investigation to ascertain whether she did indeed possess such substantial amounts of cash in her house and, if so, where the funds originated from.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor, which deals with graft allegations against high-level officials, announced that it had arrested and was questioning Ms Dappah for "suspected corruption and corruption-related offences regarding large amounts of money and other valuable items reportedly stolen from her residence".

Late on Monday evening, she was granted bail following searches conducted at her official and private residences in the capital city, Accra.

The chain of events started with a reported burglary, or potentially a series of burglaries, at the minister's private residence, where she lives with her husband and daughter.

At the heart of the accusations are two female domestic workers who were employed by the family. One of them is suspected of acting as a lookout, while the other is alleged to have been involved in stealing the cash and other belongings. As for the three other individuals accused in the case, they have not offered any comments on the charges.

According to the "brief facts" of the case attached to the charge sheet, last October Ms. Dapaah's husband, Daniel Osei Kuffour, returned home to "an unusual noise" coming from his bedroom. He then went to investigate and discovered one of the suspects crouching behind the door.

The couple only realized that items were missing after some time had passed, but they waited for seven months before reporting the incident to the police.

The reason for the significant delay remains unclear, but during that time, the accused individuals are alleged to have engaged in an extravagant spending spree.

One of them reportedly purchased a three-bedroom house on the outskirts of Accra, along with various household items such as a double-decker fridge, a television, a washing machine, a chest freezer, a gas cooker, and a water dispenser. Additionally, she allegedly provided money to her boyfriend to buy two cars - a Hyundai Elantra and a Honda Civic.

The couple is also accused of renting another three-bedroom house in a different city, as well as a store room.

The other former employee of Ms. Dapaah is said to have used some of the stolen money to build her own three-bedroom house.

As for the former minister herself, the origin of the funds that supposedly financed this extensive shopping spree remains a mystery.

In her resignation letter, Ms. Dapaah refuted the reports suggesting that she had "various huge sums of foreign currencies and millions of Ghana cedis," asserting that they did not accurately represent what she and her husband had reported to the police.

President Nana Akufo-Addo's response to the situation disappointed anti-corruption campaigners, as it seemed to pre-judge the outcome of the ongoing investigations. He expressed confidence that Ms. Dapaah's integrity during her time in office would ultimately be established.

Having served as a minister since President Akufo-Addo's initial election in 2017, Ms. Dapaah held roles in both aviation and, later, water and sanitation. As one of only three women in the president's cabinet, she was well-known.

Now, her political future remains uncertain as the special prosecutor conducts an investigation to ascertain whether she did indeed possess such substantial amounts of cash in her house and, if so, where the funds originated from.