The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has revealed it returned the docket on former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) on Friday, May 3, 2024.
The Executive Director of EOCO, COP Maame Yaa Tiwa Addo-Danquah, while addressing the media at the 14th Commonwealth Regional Conference of Heads of Anti-corruption Agencies in Africa on Monday, said her outfit intends to return the docket to the OSP because there is nothing to investigate.
However, the Director of Strategy, Research and Communications at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Samuel Appiah Darko, indicated that EOCO has already returned the docket to the OSP.
He debunked EOCO’s assertion that it has yet to return the docket on the alleged money laundering case against the former Sanitation Minister.
Mr. Darko, in an interview on Accra-based Citi FM on Tuesday, May 7, noted, amongst other things, that the OSP was surprised to hear the EOCO boss claim it has yet to return the docket because that has already happened.
“Let me start with what EOCO said yesterday [Monday, May 6] that they were going to return the docket to the OSP, that is not accurate.
“They have long returned the docket to us with an explanation that they have been advised by the AG [Attorney General] not to investigate but remember, we did not say to prosecute, [to] investigate and so I don’t understand why EOCO will say they are now going to return the docket to OSP,” he said.
Furthermore, Mr. Darko refuted the A-G’s assertions that the docket the OSP sent to EOCO was without basis, indicating that EOCO is merely trying to place the responsibility on the OSP rather than showing interest in probing the case further.
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Meanwhile, EOCO, in a statement on Tuesday, May 7, noted, amongst other things, that the OSP failed to give EOCO the report on the ‘transboundary investigations’ it carried out on the Cecilia Dapaah case.
“Following receipt of the “referral” by the OSP on 25th January, 2024, EOCO by a letter dated 1st February, 2024 signed by the Deputy Executive Director (Operations), Abdulai Bashiru Dapilah, requested the Special Prosecutor for “a copy of the findings on the case to facilitate” EOCO’s investigations.
“EOCO’s letter of 1st February, 2024 was received at the Front Desk of the Office of the Special Prosecutor by a Field Desk Officer II, Solomon Tetteh, who duly signed for the letter at 9.52 a_m. on 2nd February, 2024. The Deputy Executive-Director of EOCO, Bashiru Dapilah, followed up to the OSP and discussed with Mr. Emmanuel Basintale, the Director of Investigations of the OSP, the possibility of expediting the release of the report.
“This discussion was done in the presence of the Deputy Special Prosecutor Ms Cynthia Lamptey. Mr. Basintale assured that as soon as he received clearance from the SP the report would be released to EOCO to assist in investigations. To date, EOCO has not received any information from the OSP,” excerpts of the EOCO’s statement read.
Madam Tiwaa Addo-Danquah added, “Following the review of the docket presented by the OSP and the advice of the Attorney-General, EOCO returned the original docket received from the OSP back to the OSP on 3rd May, 2024.”
Below is EOCO’s full statement:
