The embattled former Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah has been arrested, newstitbits.com has gathered.
The former minister was arrested over the weekend following revelations that she kept millions of money in her residence which got stolen.
Madam Dapaah was arrested by the Office of the Special Prosecutor after honouring an invitation by the anti-graft agency. He has been subjected to intense grilling since Monday morning.
“She 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,” the OSP confirmed in a press release on Monday, July 24, 2023.
The statement also said she was arrested on Saturday, July 22, 2023.
Information is sketchy as to whether the husband was also invited as well as who else the Office of Special Prosecutor is picking on so far as this particular matter is concerned.
Madam Cecilia Dapaah announced her resignation on Saturday, July 22, 2023 a day after the incident of the theft went public.
But prominent individuals submitted over 200 reports, expressing concerns over the source of the stolen funds, allegedly taken by two househelps of the former Minister.
At present, two house helps, 18-year-old Patience Botwe and 30-year-old Sarah Agyei, are facing charges before an Accra Circuit Court for their involvement in the theft.
It is alleged that they stole an astounding sum of $1 million, €300,000, and millions of Ghanaian cedis from Madam Dapaah’s residence at Abelenkpe, Accra, during the period between July and October 2022.
Meanwhile, Some Ghanaians have also taken to social media to call on the Special Prosecutor to expedite the investigation into the source of the stolen funds.
The situation has left many Ghanaians eager for answers, as Madam Dapaah is yet to provide a satisfactory explanation regarding the origin of the monies stolen from her home, which she shared with her husband.
BRIEF FACTS
The court was told in the amended charge sheet and brief facts that Patience, also known as Maabena, was a house help of the complainants, Daniel Osei Kuffour and his wife, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
The court was further told that Sarah was also a former house help of the complainants.
Her Honour Susana Ekuful was told that the complainants reported the case to the police somewhere in June, this year, after detecting theft of cash and their personal effects.
Preceding the report, Patience was caught to have opened and entered the couple’s room with a duplicate key.
A1 was caught by Mr Kuffour, who returned from town only to find out that their bedroom was opened, as well as hearing an unusual noise coming from it.
The first complainant, Mr Kuffour, entered the room and found A1 hiding behind the door.
It was after this incident that the complainants detected that some of their properties were missing.
A1 was arrested and released on police enquiry bail, but unfortunately, went into hiding with her boyfriend, Benjamin, in Tamale.
While in Tamale, the love birds allegedly rented a 3-bedroom apartment at the cost of GH¢105,600 as well as a store at the cost of GH¢120,000.
The police arrested her upon intelligence and on a spot search conducted in their apartment led to the retrieval of US$40,000 and GH¢72, 619.70.
Patience allegedly bought 3-bedroom house at a cost of US$70,000 at Amrahia and furnished it with the following brand new items – a double decker refrigerator, water dispenser, a television set, washing machine and a chest cooler among others.
She also bought Hyundai Elantra at the cost of GH¢80,000 for Benjamin who also sold it to purchase Honda Civic.
A1 also gave her father GH¢50,000 and GH¢100,000 to Malik (ex-boyfriend.)
The court heard that A1 implicated Sarah during interrogation that she was her accomplice.
Thus, when they were working together in the complainants’ house, A1 used to keep watch at the main gate to enable Sarah to enter the couple’s room to steal, after which they shared the spoil.
Sarah was arrested at Budumburam and during investigation, it came to light that she used her portion of the stolen money to build 3-bedroom house at where she was arrested.
The case is adjourned to August 2, 2023.