After months of investigation into the financial dealings of former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) says it has not gathered any evidence of corruption or corruption-related offences.
“After nearly seven months of extensive investigation by the OSP and a parallel inquiry by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) of the United States, no direct and immediate evidence of corruption has been found in the seized and frozen bank accounts linked to Ms. Dapaah and her associates,” the OSP said in a statement on January 25, 2024.
Accordingly, the OSP stated that it has transferred documentation on the case to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for further inquiry.
The OSP, however, mentioned that “their investigation has identified strong indications of suspected money laundering and structuring,” for which reason it has transferred the case to EOCO.
“By law, the office cannot investigate, prosecute, or recover proceeds of crime except those that fall within corruption and corruption-related offences as defined under Section 79 of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act 2017 (Act 959).”
“In compliance with Section 3 of Act 959, which mandates the OSP to cooperate and coordinate with other law enforcement agencies, the case has been transferred to EOCO for further investigation,” the statement added.
The OSP took over the embattled former minister’s case in July 2023 after she and her husband sued her former housekeepers for allegedly stealing various sums of money and other valuables belonging to the couple at their residence in Abelenkpe.
The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has expressed his frustration at the courts for prosecuting Ms. Dapaah’s case, among others, on various platforms.
