Challenge court ruling asking Cecilia Dapaah’s cash to be returned – Vitus Azeem to OSP

Anti-graft campaigner, Vitus Azeem has advised the Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP) to challenge the ruling asking for the Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah’s seized properties should be returned to her within seven days.

The High Court in Accra has ordered the Office of the Special Prosecutor to return seized properties from the residence of embattled former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah to her within 7 days from Thursday, August 31, 2023.

This was after the Court presided over by Justice Edward Twum ruled that the OSP acted wrongly in exercising its powers to search for the home of the former minister.

The court said the OSP per the law violated conditions precedent before it could make such orders to seize those properties it deemed “suspected tainted property” with corruption.

Speaking to Starr News on the development, Azeem indicated that the ruling asking for the properties to be given back to Madam Dapaah can change if the OSP challenges it in court.

“The court has so many discretions which can be used appropriately and misused and sometimes. So the Special Prosecutor can decide to appeal. If he decides to appeal there can be a change in the ruling. But if the Special Prosecutor decides not to appeal that’s the problem.

“Sometimes, our investigations can do something thereby leaving some loopholes on the accused persons for their lawyers to use in escaping prosecution. We cannot be sure because we don’t know whether, it is the fault is from the Office of the Special Prosecutor or whoever,” Azeem stated.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) says it disagrees with the Accra High Court’s order for it to return Former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah’s seized money.

The Court on Thursday, August 31 ordered the OSP to return the money within seven days and reverse its August 9 decision to freeze her Dollar and Cedi accounts.

However, the OSP in a statement in response to the Court’s order, said it respects the court’s decision but disagrees with it because it is erroneous.

“While the OSP respects the Court’s decision, it disagrees with the decision of the Court. First, the OSP believes that the Court’s computation of the time limitation is, with respect, erroneous. The OSP searched three (3) private residences associated with Ms. Dapaah over the course of two (2) weeks. The searches and discovery were ongoing during that period. There is little doubt that the OSP filed its application within the statutory window once the search and discovery window is considered.”

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