The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has said that after nearly seven months of extensive investigation by the Office and a parallel inquiry by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States, no direct and immediate evidence of corruption was found in respect of seized funds and frozen bank accounts linked to former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources Ms. Cecilia Abena Dapaah and her associates.
It is recalled that the Office commenced an investigation in July 2023 in respect of suspected corruption and corruption-related offences regarding large amounts of money and other valuable items involving Ms. Cecilia Abena Dapaah and her associates.
The OSP in its half year report for 2025 said that “After nearly seven months of extensive investigation by the Office and a parallel inquiry by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States, no direct and immediate evidence of corruption was found in respect of seized funds and frozen bank accounts linked to Ms. Dapaah and her associates – though the investigation identified strong indications of suspected money laundering and structuring, beyond the direct mandate of the Office.”
Background:
The FBI, OSP partnership came barely a day after lawyers of the former Sanitation Minister filed an affidavit at the Human Rights Division of the High Court, seeking an interlocutory injunction on investigations being conducted by Ghana’s OSP.
The former Bantama MP had described as “unfair, unreasonable, capricious, arbitrary and ultra vires” the re-seizure of her monies and re-freezing of her accounts and property.
“I am advised by Counsel and verily believe same to be true that to prevent further violation of my constitutionally guaranteed rights and rendering my application for judicial review, it is imperative that the Respondent is restrained from continuing his investigation pending the determination of my said application,” her affidavit in response to OSP’s suit prayed.
The OSP, aside from its suit in investigating corruption and corruption-related offences against Madam Cecilia Dapaah had charged her for failing to declare her income upon a lawful demand.
According to the OSP, she failed to do so after 30 days contrary to Section 69(1)(a) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017, Act 959.
“As at close of business on 5 October 2023, the Accused had willfully failed, without lawful excuse, to return the duly completed statutory forms to the Office of the Special Prosecutor, more than thirty (30) days after the service of the notice and forms to her.”
