Cecilia Dapaah’s Lawyer Denies Money Laundering Charges

The case of Cecilia Dapaah, the former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, has attracted a lot of public attention and media scrutiny in Ghana. The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has accused her of corruption and corruption-related offences, and has frozen her bank and investment accounts. The OSP has also seized huge sums of money that were found in her Abelemkpe residence, amounting to $590,000 and GHc2,730,000.

However, Dapaah's lawyers have challenged the OSP's actions in court, arguing that the monies found at her client’s home do not mean they belong to her. They have described the OSP's application as an "arbitrary exercise of powers" based on "nothing more than suspicion fuels by misrepresentation of facts and resultant media frenzy".

Background of the case

The OSP initiated an investigation into Dapaah's suspected act of corruption following information arising from a criminal case titled 'Republic v Patience Botwe and 3 others'. In that case, the house help of Dapaah together with others had allegedly stolen an amount of over $1 million, €300,000 and other properties belonging to Dapaah and her husband.

The OSP conducted a search at Dapaah's residence on July 24, 2023, and discovered additional physical $590,000 and GHc2,730,000 stashed in the house. The OSP claimed that these monies were tainted by corruption and sought to freeze and seize them as well as Dapaah's bank and investment accounts.

Arguments of the parties

Dapaah's lawyers have opposed the OSP's application in court, contending that the monies found at her client’s home do not mean they belong to her. They have argued that the OSP is acting based on suspicion and misrepresentation of facts, and has failed to provide any evidence to link Dapaah to any act of corruption.

They have also pointed out the caliber and work history of Dapaah and her spouse, who are both professionals with legitimate sources of income. They have further stated that Dapaah has cooperated with the OSP's investigation and has provided explanations for the source and ownership of the monies found at her residence.

On the other hand, the OSP has maintained that the monies found at Dapaah's residence are suspected to be tainted by corruption and are disproportionate to her known income. The OSP has also argued that Dapaah has failed to account for the origin and purpose of the monies, and has given inconsistent statements about them.

The OSP has therefore urged the court to confirm its order of freezing and seizure of the suspected tainted properties of Dapaah.

Conclusion

The case of Cecilia Dapaah is one of the high-profile cases that the OSP is handling under its mandate to fight corruption in Ghana. The outcome of the case will have implications for the credibility and effectiveness of the OSP as well as the public perception of corruption among public officials. The court is expected to rule on the matter soon.