An Accra High Court has issued a directive ordering the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to return the confiscated funds belonging to Cecilia Dapaah within a stipulated time frame of seven days.

The former Minister of Sanitation found herself enmeshed in a legal dispute when her assets were seized by the OSP. However, the court has reversed this action, instructing the OSP to promptly restore the confiscated funds to her possession.

The OSP had initiated an investigation into allegations of corruption and related offenses against Madam Dapaah after it was revealed that she was in possession of over $1 million at her residence. The investigation gained momentum when it came to light that a substantial sum of $590,000 in cash and an astounding amount of GHC2.730,000 had been discovered during a comprehensive search of her property.

Promptly responding to the discovered funds, the OSP seized these substantial sums of cash as pivotal evidence to support their ongoing investigation. Consequently, they proceeded to freeze the accounts linked to the former minister's cedi and dollar holdings pending further inquiries.

The backdrop of this situation dates back to July 21, when it emerged that two domestic workers of the former Minister were facing charges of allegedly stealing a significant sum of $1 million, €300,000, and millions of Ghanaian cedis from her residence in October 2022. These allegations stirred public outrage and investigations led to the unearthing of the substantial cash sums in question.

Following the revelations, Cecilia Dapaah resigned from her post as the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources. She asserted her innocence and expressed confidence that any investigation would vindicate her integrity. However, her arrest followed shortly thereafter.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor conducted searches at both her official and private residences, leading to her arrest for "suspected corruption and corruption-related offenses regarding large amounts of money and other valuable items reportedly stolen from her residence." She was subsequently released on bail.

The sequence of events following the burglary at her private home implicated not only the two domestic workers but also others accused of participating in an extravagant spending spree with the stolen funds. President Nana Akufo-Addo's response, expressing confidence in her integrity, led to disappointment among anti-corruption advocates for appearing to prejudge the investigation's outcome.

Sompaonline.com