The Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP) has filed a suit against former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources Cecilia Abena Dapaah for failing to declare her income upon a lawful demand.
According to the OSP, this action by the former Minister was contrary to Section 69(1)(a) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017, Act 959.
It explained that after her property and accounts were frozen as a result of suspicion of corruption and corruption-related offences, Madam Cecilia Dapaah was notified in a letter to “make the specified declarations and return same to the Office of the Special Prosecutor as per Form 12 of the First Schedule of LI 2374, within thirty (30) days of service on her of the notice”.
This was on Monday, July 24, when offices froze her accounts and property after a search in her three residences in Accra.
The OSP indicated in its facts to the Court that “as at close of business on 5 October 2023, the Accused had willfully failed, without lawful excuse, to return the duly completed statutory forms to the Office of the Special Prosecutor, more than thirty (30) days after the service of the notice and forms to her”.
Background
There was public uproar after then Sanitation Minister charged her two house helps with stealing initially-quoted 1 million, €300,000 and some undisclosed Ghana Cedis.
This was later amended.
But she resigned on Saturday, July 22, barely 24 hours after public discourse of her stolen cash.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo accepted her resignation on Sunday, July 23, applauding “your loyalty to the image and standing of the government”.
The following day, the OSP authorised officers to mount a search at her three residences including her Abelenkpe residence where the cash was stolen.
A total of $590,000 and GH¢2.73 million was found after the search.
The OSP placed Madam Cecilia Dapaah under arrest on charges of corruption and corruption-related offences.
But the Financial Division of the High Court ordered the OSP to return the seized property, indicating that there was no justifiable basis for the seizure of the property as the OSP entered the act wrongly.
She was later released but re-arrested.