The Office of the Special Prosecutor has revealed the location where its officers discovered hidden funds during a search of former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah’s residences.
According to the latest court documents filed by the Office, a search was conducted at her Ablemkpe residence on July 24, 2023, in response to reports of significant sums of money having been stolen from her premises.
This search led to the discovery of cash amounts totaling $590,000 and ¢2,862,007.
Subsequent searches were carried out in two other residential properties of the dismissed Minister located in Cantonments and Tesano, both in Accra.
The Office stated that the monies were cleverly concealed in various forms, including wraps, polythene bags, clothes, 32 envelopes, and were buried and hidden in inconspicuous places within the residence, some even labeled and described.
This development is part of the Office’s ongoing efforts to confirm the seizure of properties suspected to be linked to Madam Dapaah.
Previously, the Office had seized a significant amount of cash from the former Minister and ordered the freezing of certain bank accounts with transactions totaling over ¢40 million.
However, an Accra High Court refused to confirm these seizures and the freezing order, instructing the OSP to return the amounts to Cecilia Dapaah.
The Special Prosecutor has since returned to court in a bid to obtain confirmation of the seizures.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor also revealed allegations that the former Minister allegedly possesses millions of cedis for which she could not provide a legitimate source.
Additionally, the filing alleges that an account belonging to the late brother of the former Minister was still transferring funds to Cecilia Dapaah’s accounts.
Background:
Two housemaids employed by Cecilia Abena Dapaah and her husband, Daniel Osei Kuffour, are currently facing charges at an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly stealing money and valuables worth millions of cedis from the couple’s residence in Abelemkpe, Accra. The accused individuals, Patience Botwe (18 years old) and Sarah Agyei (30 years old), have been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and five counts of theft.
The alleged thefts took place between July and October 2022, during which the housemaids purportedly stole personal belongings belonging to Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah, including various clothes valued at GH¢95,000, handbags, perfumes, and jewelry worth $95,000.
In addition, Ms. Botwe is accused of stealing six pieces of Kente cloth valued at GH¢90,000 and six sets of men’s suits valued at US$3,000, which belong to the minister’s husband.