Why Vitus Azeem wants OSP, CHRAJ, GRA to be interested in the $1m Cecilia Dapaah case

A former Executive Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Vitus Azeem, has called on three leading state institutions to take interest in a case involving the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Dapaah.

The case, which is currently before an Accra Circuit Court, involves the theft of $1 million by some two house helps of the minister, named only as Patience and Sarah.

According to the details of the case, shared by The Chronicle, the young helps stole monies form the Abelemkpe house of the minister, including US$1 million, €300,000, and millions of Ghana cedis.

But in his reaction during a phone interview, the anti-corruption crusader, Vitus Azeem, said that the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, and the Office of the Special Prosecutor should be interested in the matter.

Explaining why this is the case, he explained that the mandates of each of these institutions transcend into the matter under review.

“There are three institutions that come to my mind. The Office of the Special Prosecutor has talked about having a lifestyle audit so, it’s one of the institutions that should be doing something about this.

“Number two, the Ghana Revenue Authority should investigate it, if the person is doing business, or if some of the monies are gifts or disposal of assets, the GRA will need to find out if they paid tax on these things.

“And number three is the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice since the minister is a public officer, she is supposed to have declared her assets. So, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice should call for the asset declaration of the minister to look at what was the last time this lady declared her assets and did that declaration include these monies and the other assets we are talking about. If not, then that gives a problem for her,” he explained.

Also reacting to the news, former President John Dramani Mahama called into question the integrity of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

He wondered if the president would ever set a good example with his appointees.

“$1m + €300k and millions of GHS in a Ghanaian Minister’s home? Scandalous!! Even if genuinely acquired, why keep millions of hard currency at home? Will @NAkufoAddo ever set a good example for public office holders in his administration?” he tweeted.

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