Ghana needs the Civil Forfeiture law just as what exists in the United States to deal with issues arising from the case involving former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources Cecilia Abena Dpaah, Chief Operations Officer at Dalex Finance Mr Joe Jackson has said.
Civil forfeiture allows the government (typically the police) to seize — and then keep or sell — any property that is allegedly involved in a crime or illegal activity.
Owners need not ever be arrested or convicted of a crime for their cash, cars, or even real estate to be taken away permanently by the government.
In a tweet, Mr Jackson said “In the USA, CIVIL FORFEITURE is when law officers seize assets from people who are suspected of involvement with illegal activity without necessarily charging the owners with wrongdoing. Ghana may need a similar law to deal with the issues arising from Cecilia Dapaah’s incident.”
In the USA, CIVIL FORFEITURE is when law officers seize assets from people who are suspected of involvement with illegal activity without necessarily charging the owners with wrongdoing.
Ghana may need a similar law to deal with the issues arising from Cecilia Dapaah's incident. pic.twitter.com/YlIPFeEYp6
— Joe Jackson (@Joe_Jackson_GH) July 25, 2023
In relation to Cecilia Dapaah, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) searched her home as part of an investigation into her action of keeping a large amount of Dollars at home.
This was after the OSP placed her under arrest on Monday, July 24. She is being interrogated by officers of the OSP, a statement said.
“At 11:55 GMT on 24th July 2023, Cecilia Abena Dapaah who resigned from the position of Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources on 22nd July 2023 was placed under arrest by the Office of the Special Prosecutor in respect of suspected corruption and corruption-related offenses regarding large amounts of money and valuable items reportedly stolen from her residence. Ms Dapaah is being questioned by authorized officers of the OSP,” the OSP said in the statement.
Madam Cecilia Dapaah tendered her resignation in a letter to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Saturday, July 22 barely 24 hours after news of some foreign cash stolen from her bedroom came to light.
“I intend to cooperate fully with all the state agencies to enable them fully establish the facts,” she assured in her letter.
“I have no doubt that at the end of the processes it will be established that I have conducted myself with integrity during my period in public service and I will be fully exonerated from all the allegations,” she further said.
Madam Cecilia Dapaah was said to have kept $1 million, €300,000 and millions of undisclosed Ghana Cedis at home.
These monies were allegedly stolen by two house helps, for which they are standing trial at an Accra Circuit Court.
She had earlier indicated that there were inconsistencies with the facts and the public reports.
She, therefore, insisted in her resignation letter that the figures put out in the public domain do not correctly reflect what she and her husband submitted to the police in their statement.
The former lawmaker, however, admits she understands the import of such stories around someone of her stature.
“I am resigning, therefore, because I do not want such a matter to become a preoccupation of government and a hindrance to the work of government at such a crucial time.”