An Accra High Court has granted former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah’s application to have the case against her by the Office of the Special Prosecutor heard earlier than scheduled, albeit with a slight modification.
Originally slated for October 18, Madam Dapaah told the Court that the longer the case lingers, the more it caused her hardship, stress and embarrassment. It is for this reason that she filed an application for an abridgement of time in order for the case to be heard on October 11, 2023.
However, the court ruled that her application will be heard on October 12, 2023.
Lawyers of the OSP objected to the application by filing an application in opposition. They stated that Madam Dapaah wanted to “deprive the public of it’s reaction to the affidavit in opposition served on us.”
“We’re relying on the affidavit in opposition that we have filed before this court on 10th October. The motion for confirmation of seizure and freezing of account was duly served on the applicant on 20th September with the return date set for 18th October,” lead counsel Esther Tetteh added.
The OSP has filed for the confirmation of the freeze of her account and seizure of assets after releasing same on September 5, 2023.
But in his ruling, Justice Edward Twum noted that in the interest of Justice, fairness and expeditious trial, the court adopts the abridgement of time filed by lawyers of Cecilia Dapaah.
He explained that the Applicant (Cecilia Dapaah) has been able to prove that the longer the delay in the hearing of her case, the more it affects her.
Citing the timeline of events since her assets were released and seized again, the court said the OSP took too long to serve her the processes.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor in accordance with the High Court ruling on August 31 released the seized monies of Cecilia Dapaah and the unfreeze of the bank account.
The application for the confirmation of the refreeze of accounts was filed on September 11, but was served on the former Minister on September 20.
Madam Dapaah has since filed an injunction suit against the Office of the Special Prosecutor restraining the office from further investigating her.
The OSP has also partnered with the Federal Bureau of Investigations in the United States of America to look into the transactions of the former Minister in and out of the US.
By Laud Adu-Asare