Ghana’s former Auditor-General, Daniel Domelevo, and other anti-graft campaigners have petitioned Parliament to consider a bi-partisan probe into how the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Attorney-General conducted investigations of money laundering against former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
It has been over ten months since allegations of money laundering surfaced involving Ms. Cecilia Abena Dapaah, the former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, and her husband, Mr. Daniel Osei-Kufour.
Since the allegations surfaced, there has been a prolonged blame game among the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), the Economic Organized Crime Office (EOCO) and the Attorney General (AG) with each institution pointing fingers at the others over who should take the lead in prosecuting the former Minister.
The petitioners, mainly outspoken figures and ordinary citizens such as traders, students, and security men, say they find it untenable that EOCO, led by its Director, Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah had “chosen not to investigate the allegations” against the former Minister.
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In their petition to Parliament, the group comprising over 75 Ghanaians from diverse backgrounds, strongly believe EOCO failed to act on sufficient evidence to investigate the former Minister for money laundering. The group cites the Minister’s inconsistent statements and inability to account for the source of the large sum of money seized at her residence by the Special Prosecutor.
The petition slammed EOCO for its glaring inconsistencies in both word and deed, undermining public trust and confidence in the investigation’s credibility.
“It is evident and quite clear that with ample evidence available, accompanied by a docket that contains over 20 witness statements, it is highly doubtful that EOCO cannot comprehend the details of the docket,” they said in the petition dated Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
Furthermore, the group expressed concerns over EOCO’s inaction in protecting the seized money, which had been recovered from the former minister’s residence by the OSP, characterizing it as a deliberate refusal to take necessary steps.
“Upon receipt of the docket, EOCO did not act timeously to seize the money that the OSP was returning to Madam Cecelia Dapaa as publicly stated by the OSP,” a portion of the petition said.
The petition was submitted by Dr. Adam Bonaa, a security expert who recently accused EOCO of killing the case. Other signees include former Auditor-General Daniel Domelevo, Lawyer Justice Abdullai, another veteran lawyer, Martin Kpebu, Executive Secretary of the Bureau of Public Safety Dr. Nana Yaw Akwada, and political science lecturer, Prof. Ransford Gyampo.
Read the full petition below;
