Amid the controversy surrounding the 'stolen' cash from the house of former Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, it was reported that part of the funds was to be used to cater for the burial of the former minister's deceased brother.

A member of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) communications team, Clement Wilkinson, claimed that Madam Cecilia might have received donations towards the funeral ceremony.

“The company which received $43 million dollars to dredge the Odaw river could have given Cecilia Dapaah $2 million dollars in funeral donation. You know until the family meets to look at the entire donation, it would not be touched. It could be the reason the money was at her home,” he is quoted to have said.

But on 25th July 2023, Ghanaian journalist Paul Adom-Otchere during his show, Good Evening Ghana, revealed that $800,000 out of the total amount reportedly stolen belonged to Madam Dapaah's deceased brother, Nana Akwasi Eddan II, 60, the Numuahene of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

According to Mr Adom-Otchere, the said amount was in a box given to Cecilia Dapaah by her mother, Nana Ode Nyarko II (of blessed memory) while she was alive.

"It was delivered in a box. It is the same box stolen that the mother delivered to Cecilia, that your brother has passed.

He noted that Nana Akwasi Eddan II had plans to use the fund for construction works but upon his demise as such the family found it prudent to hand the money over to Madam Dapaah due to the security she enjoyed from her position.

The late mother of Dapaah, he said stated that "He ( Nana Ode Nyarko II) left me this money for his contractor work. He said he was going to buy land at Bremang and build houses and sell. That is what he told me and that is what this money is for. So can you please take the money and call the other family people.

"I understand one of them them remarked that 'give to to Aunty Ceci, she is a Minister and has a police officer.' So the money was given to Aunty Ceci. She carried the money and brought it to Accra. Told her husband that 'your brother in-laws money'. Eno (Cecilia's mother) gave it it me and Eno died after that.

After Eno died, they buried Eno and they came to deal with it."

Mr Adom-Otchere reports that "those brothers have also written to the police, confirming the source of this money."

Profile of Nana Ode Nyarko II

Nana Akwasi Eddan II was a farmer, a contractor and a manufacturer of security boots, supplied in Ghana and in some West African countries like La Cote Divoire.

His company's name is CDN Company Limited.

His funeral arrangements were as follows:

Lying in state: (Doteyie) Wednesday 27th- Thursday 28, April, 2022, at Family House - Bantama near Bantama Parliament.

Source: The Independent Ghana