The Office of the Special Prosecutor has revoked a freezing order on five bank accounts of the former Minister for Sanitation, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) made on October 16, 2023, the OSP announced that investigations have eliminated five of the bank accounts of Ms. Dapaah from suspicion of being tainted property.
“On 16 October 2023, the Special Prosecutor revoked the freezing order in respect of the eliminated five (5) bank accounts of Ms. Dapaah. The freezing order is still force and effect in respect of the other bank accounts and financial assets of Ms. Dapaah,” the statement signed by Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng said.
Ms Dapaah has been under investigation by the OSP following news of a reported theft by her domestic staff in July. The domestic workers are alleged to have stolen large sums of money – with many reports alleging amounts of $1 million, 300,000 euros, several millions of Ghana cedis and personal effects.
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The OSP who immediately started investigating her for corruption and corruption related offences, following her arrest and the subsequent searches at her residential properties that led to the discovery of various cash sums, and those in her bank accounts, moved to seize and freeze her assets.
In August, the Special Prosecutor applied to the courts for a confirmation request on the seized and frozen assets, saying that it believes the seized cash and those in her bank accounts are “tainted property.”
But that action was dismissed by the court, which also directed that the former Minister’s assets be unfrozen.
The Special Prosecutor in an uncommon fashion decided to adhere to the court order, by unfreezing Ms. Dapaah’s accounts, but reseized and refroze those assets the same day, and applied to the court again for a confirmation request.
Ms. Dapaah, who has maintained no wrong doing had earlier described the OSP’s actions as a flagrant breach of its own enabling law and that the Special Prosecutor is perpetrating an arbitrary exercise based on suspicion, fueled by misrepresentation and media frenzy.
On October 10, 2023, she filed an injunction against the OSP, asking that the court restrains the Office from filing any additional applications until the matter involving the freezing of her assets is concluded.
Her recent court action came after the OSP on October 6, charged her for failing to respond to a notice served on her to declare her income and property.
