The Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, has announced her resignation from her position.

In her statement, she explained that her decision was driven by her desire to prevent her recent controversy from becoming a distraction for the government and hindering its important work.

The controversy surrounding the Minister arose when it was alleged that she had a substantial sum of money - one million dollars, 300,000 euros, and millions of cedis - stored in her bedroom. Regrettably, the funds were reportedly stolen by her house helps, further amplifying the seriousness of the situation.

In her resignation announcement, Cecilia Abena Dapaah expressed her commitment to cooperating fully with state agencies in their investigations to establish the veracity of the allegations.

Background

The incident came to light when two former house helps, Patience Botwe and Sarah Agyei, were charged with allegedly stealing the money and valuable items from Cecilia Abena Dapaah, the Minister for Water Resources, and her husband, Daniel Osei Kuffour, in their home located in Abelemkpe, Greater Accra Region.

Among the stolen items were cash, jewelry, clothing, and personal effects. Patience, the primary accused, is also facing charges related to the theft of kente cloth and men's suits belonging to Daniel Osei Kuffour.

Additionally, three other individuals, namely Benjamin, Kweku Botwe, and Malik Dauda, were charged with dishonestly receiving portions of the stolen money. The accused were brought before an Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Susana Ekuful, on July 20, 2023. However, their pleas have not yet been taken.

Sarah, one of the accused, has been granted bail in the sum of GH¢1 million, with two sureties, on the basis of her status as a breastfeeding mother. The other accused individuals have been remanded into custody.

According to the court's records, Patience and Sarah were former house helps of the complainants, and the thefts occurred between July and October 2022. The complainants reported the thefts to the police after discovering the missing items and cash.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Patience had used a duplicate key to enter the couple's room, and Mr. Kuffour caught her hiding behind the door. Subsequently, the stolen items were discovered missing. Patience was later arrested and released on police bail but went into hiding in Tamale with her boyfriend, Benjamin.

The police eventually apprehended Patience and Benjamin in Tamale and found significant amounts of money and stolen items in their possession. Patience allegedly used some of the stolen money to purchase a 3-bedroom house in Amrahia and furnished it with new items.

During interrogation, Patience implicated Sarah, revealing that they had worked together in the couple's house. Patience would keep watch at the main gate, allowing Sarah to enter the room and steal.

The case has been adjourned to August 2, 2023, for further proceedings.

Sompaonline.com