CDD-Ghana disappointed in govt's handling of Cecilia Dapaah

The Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) says it has noted with great disappointment, the manner in which the case involving former Minister of Sanitation, Cecilia is being handled by government.

This is contained in a press release dated May 3, 2024.

According to CDD-Ghana, “the abrupt and inconclusive manner this matter has been ended fits a pattern in terms of the Nana Akufo Addo Administration’s general attitude and response to scandals and allegations or reported incidents of criminal conduct, corruption or other financial malfeasance involving persons closely associated with the Government or ruling party.”

The press release issued by CDD-Ghana is in reaction to an advisory issued by the Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General to the Economic and Organised Crime (EOCO) not to investigate the alleged case of money laundering against Madam Cecilia Dapaah.

In the advisory, the A-G wrote, “Even though as part of your mandate you could commence investigations into the source(s) of the money found in the home of the suspects, we do not find this necessary since this Office before the reference by the OSP, had instructed the Police Service who are already seized with other aspects of the case to investigate the sources of the huge sums of money found in the homes of the suspects, a fact the OSP is aware of.”

CDD-Ghana believes “The upshot of the A-G’s Advice is that the Cecilia Dapaah matter is over.

It is not clear in what way the forced termination of further investigation into this matter by the A-G serves either the public interest or helps the reputation of the target of the investigation.”

The policy think tank continued that, “It is hard to believe that, after over eight months of investigation following the alleged theft of $1 million and €300,000 cash from the home of Mrs.

Dapaah, the subsequent discovery of another $590,000 and GHS 2,730,000 in cash by the OSP in Madam Dapaah’s properties, not to mention the huge balances held in investment and bank accounts, Ghanaians cannot get a simple satisfactory answer from any public agency as to the source of these monies.

The fact that these monies, at least in the aggregate, apparently exceed the former Minister’s known or verifiable income should raise legitimate questions or reasonable suspicion or doubt as to their source.

Continuing to investigate this matter to establish the source of the monies is therefore eminently justifiable under the circumstances.”

“In fact, the idea that “unexplained wealth” can give rise to a reasonable suspicion or even a presumption of illegality of the source of such wealth is a principle embraced by our Constitution.

Notably, Article 286(4) of the Constitution, in the chapter on the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, makes it clear, in the context of the asset declaration regime, that assets of a declarant that are “not reasonably attributable to income, gift, loan, inheritance or any other reasonable source shall be deemed to have been acquired in contravention of this Constitution.” It is the same principle or presumption that justifies at least a credible investigation in this matter.

It is instructive that Mrs.

Dapaah’s asset declaration record or appears interested in getting to the bottom of this matter in order to bring it to a satisfactory closure.

The action of EOCO in requesting directions from the A-G without first acting on the referral from the OSP to initiate its own investigation of the matter seems oddly contrived.

And paragraph two of the Special Prosecutor’s statement…no direct and immediate evidence of corruption has been found in the seized funds and a frozen bank account linked to Madam Cecilia Dapaah.”

“So, indeed, the question that you’re asking me ought to be asked the special prosecutor…has he closed the investigations relating to Cecilia Dapaah?

And my understanding from this is indeed he has come to a definite conclusion that there was no evidence and for that matter, the matter was closed,” Mr Dame stated.

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