Convenor of Arise Ghana Movement, Bernard Anbataayela Mornah, has said his Movement is not aware that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service is investigating former Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
Mr. Mornah says his Movement is only aware that the former minister, having been found with assets worth more than her income could afford, was left off the hook by the EOCO when the OSP left its investigation on a possible money laundering to them.
Cecilia Abena Dapaah, after reporting her housemaids for stealing her money, found herself in trouble when the money that was stolen was more than what she could possibly be earning. A probe by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) revealed that she had more assets which do not commensurate her income.
However, anti-graft institutions that were supposed to investigate her turned around to fight themselves. The Attorney-General advised EOCO against probing her when the OSP stated that issues of money laundering do not fall within their scope.
The A-G had said that the CID has taken over the investigation on money laundering suspicion.
But the Arise Ghana Movement, having observed the state of the probe, has petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate her, since it is within CHRAJ’s mandate to ensure that public officers do not use their position to enrich themselves.
“Well, as you are aware, we are not aware of any investigations conducted by the police. What we are aware is that the Special Prosecutor engaged in it, but he in his report said that he did not find anything of bribery and corruption, but he suspected money laundering. And you know that money laundering is a crime,” Mr. Mornah said when host of Ghana Tonight, Alfred Ocansey asked if he is not aware the CID is investigating the woman.
He added that “to the extent that Cecilia Dapaah’s income under her bed, income in her various homes, far exceeds total monies that she might have worked for, there should be cause for investigations. And that is what we are calling for.”
Background
Madam Abena Dapaah, following her resignation with the emergence of the scandal, was tasked to be probed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) who later handed the matter to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) due to the suspicion of money laundering which did not fall in the OSP’s mandate.
EOCO, subsequently submitted the docket given to it for the probe to the Office of the Attorney-General for advice who counseled against the office for conducting such investigation.
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 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. 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.
The Special Prosecutor’s Office had initially requested EOCO’s involvement after determining that the case, which involved over 1 million dollars found in the former minister’s house among other issues, did not fall under its jurisdiction, albeit suspecting potential money laundering.
Following months of collaborative investigation with agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States, as indicated by the OSP, the decision marked a significant development in a case of substantial national interest.
Cecilia Dapaah’s case: A Ghanaian can own a million dollars legitimately – Information Minister
