The police have traced two new Honda Acura cars, worth over GH¢600,000, to some of the suspects involved in the theft of huge sums of money and other valuables from the residence of former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Dapaah.

The cars are registered in the names of Christiana Achab, a trader, and Patience Botwe, a hairdresser, who are among the seven accused persons facing trial for the theft case.

The police have also discovered four more houses that were allegedly purchased with the stolen money by the suspects. The houses are located in Budumburam, Aplaku and Kokrobite in the Central Region and Amrahia in the Greater Accra Region.

These new findings add to the previous properties that were recovered from the suspects, including cash, jewellery, handbags, kente cloths and other household items.

The police have amended the charge sheet against the seven accused persons who are standing trial for the theft case. They are Patience Botwe, 18, hairdresser; Sarah Agyei, 30, unemployed; Benjamin Sowah, 29, plumber; Malik Dauda, 34, unemployed; Christiana Achab, a trader; Job Pomary, a mechanic; and Yahaya Sumaila, an excavator operator. They are facing 14 counts of conspiracy, stealing and dishonestly receiving.

They are alleged to have stolen $1 million, €300,000 and millions of Ghana cedis from the former minister's residence at Abelemkpe in Accra between July and October 2022.

Sarah Agyei and Christiana Achab, who are said to be nursing mothers, have been granted bail of GH¢1 million each with three sureties. The sureties are required to deposit their Ghana Cards with the court registrar and not travel outside the jurisdiction. The rest of the accused persons have been remanded in custody pending further investigations.

The prosecution has indicated that the Attorney General's office will take over the case after full investigations are concluded. The defence lawyers have argued that their clients are innocent until proven guilty. The court has also asked the lawyers of the accused mothers to provide proof of their claim and shown a six-month-old baby who is under the care of a caregiver.

The eighth accused person, Franklin Sarakpo, is still on the run. The father of Patience Botwe, Kweku Botwe, who was among the five persons initially arraigned, has been discharged following the Attorney General's advice on the case.

The case has been adjourned to August 22, 2023 by Her Honour Afia Owusuaa Appiah.