Executive Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Mary Awelana Addah, has described the Attorney-General’s advice to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) on the Cecilia Dapaah matter as “sad” although “not surprising”.
She says the advice suggests the regime is creating an impression where people who indulge in crimes are made to get away with them.
Although there are limitations regarding the regime under which anti-corruption institutions operate, the GII boss thinks there shouldn’t be that impression that people can thrive on impunity.
Speaking on the A-G’s advice to EOCO on Cecilia Dapaah’s case, Madam Addah indicated that “if the fight against corruption is to gain any traction, then our actions and inaction must also follow suit.”
“We know that we are working within a regime and the limitations thereof, but the impression should not be created that we are creating every opportunity to ensure that people get away with wrong and if even the people of Ghana like it or not. It’s so very sad. It’s not surprising, admittedly I must say, but then it is very sad that this is what is happening,” she told Alfred Ocansey on Ghana Tonight on TV3 Thursday, May 02, 2024.
Ask Special Prosecutor – Attorney-General on whether Cecilia Dapaah’s case is over
Background
The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has been advised by the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice against initiating money laundering investigations into former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
In response to EOCO’s request for advice on the matter, the Attorney General’s office in a letter dated April 25, 2024, and copied to EOCO, said the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) did not furnish EOCO with the report on their investigations which suggested that the former Minister was involved in money laundering.
The Attorney General’s office pointed out that the OSP had not responded to EOCO’s inquiry for its findings on the issue.
According to the Attorney General’s assessment, the docket presented to EOCO only included the OSP’s letter transmitting the docket, the diary of action, statements taken during the investigation, and correspondence sent by the OSP to other institutions such as the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and banks for inquiries.
Upon further scrutiny of the docket, the Attorney General’s office determined that the OSP did not uncover any evidence of corruption or corruption-related offenses involving Cecilia Dapaah.
The Attorney General’s office stressed that the key of pursuing money laundering investigations lies in the ability to demonstrate that financial gains were derived from criminal proceeds arising from illegal activity.
“In the absence of the identification of any criminality associated with the properties retrieved from the suspects, the OSP’s referral to EOCO for investigations to be conducted into money laundering is without basis.”
The Attorney General advised against EOCO delving into the source of Cecilia Dapaah’s funds, as the CID had been tasked with handling that aspect of the case.
“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 seised 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. We find from the OSP’s docket, marked as B1″, a copy of the Attorney-General’s letter to the Director-General of the CID dated 31st July 2023”, the statement stated.
EOCO’s mandate to investigate money laundering is limited to government funds – Kpebu
