Special Prosecutor marches Cecilia Dapaah to her home for search

Cecilia Dapaah has resigned as Minister for Sanitation

Officials from the Office of the Special Prosecutor undertook a search of the residences belonging to Cecilia Abena Dapaah, the former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources.

The search according a Joynews report took place on Monday, July 24, in response to the alleged theft of substantial sums of money and valuable items from her home between July and October 2022. The accused perpetrators are reported to be her house helps.

Earlier on the same day, Cecilia Abena Dapaah was taken in for questioning on suspicion of corruption and was subsequently placed under arrest for several hours.

The reported theft is said to have occurred at her Abelemkpe residence in Accra, while a separate search also took place at one of her other homes in Ablekuma.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor stated, "At 11:55 GMT on 24 July 2023, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, who resigned from the position of Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources on 22 July 2023, was placed under arrest by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) in respect of suspected corruption and corruption-related offences regarding large amounts of money and other valuable items reportedly stolen from her residence."

During the search, Ms. Dapaah was questioned by authorized officers of the OSP.

The incident came to light through media reports that mentioned two housemaids, Patience Botwe (18 years old) and Sarah Agyei (30 years old), who worked for the former Minister and her husband at their home. The housemaids, along with others, are facing trial for allegedly stealing US$1 million, €300,000, and millions of Ghana cedis, along with various items, including clothing, handbags, perfumes, jewelry, kente cloth, and suits belonging to Mrs. Dapaah's husband, which are said to be worth thousands of dollars.

Amidst the media scrutiny and public criticism, Cecilia Dapaah has contested the reported amounts of stolen money, citing "noticeable inconsistencies" in the discussions surrounding what she reported to the police.

In light of the controversy surrounding the alleged theft, Cecilia Dapaah chose to resign from her position as Sanitation Minister in July 2022.

GA/SARA