Dr Justice Srem-Sai, Senior Lecturer, Faculiy of Law, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, says the Office of the Attorney General’s request for Cecilia Dapaah’s “simple stealing” docket is suspicious.
“Why would the AG call for the docket on a simple case of theft when it has not done so in the past? How many stealing cases have the AG requested dockets on? So, if in a simple case of stealing, the AG requests for a docket, it raises suspicion…”
“…What has come of many of the cases involving public officials in the past? No real outcome. So, when you go again and ask for the docket, then the people are entitled by way of memory and common experience that we are probably heading towards that direction we already know of,” he said.
The Senior Lecturer said this on Saturday during a discussion on an Accra-basedtelevision station on the topic, “Cecelia Dapaah $1M: Lifestyle Audit, Money Laundering, Code ofConduct Bill”
Madam Dapaah, a former Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, has been in the news lately after her two former domestic staff were arraigned for stealing cash and personal effects from her house at Abelenkpe, Accra, between July and October 2022.
The two domestic staff and three others are facing charges before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly stealing $1 million, €300,000 and millions of Ghanaian cedis belonging to the Minister and her husband.
The case sparked outrage against the Minister on social media with calls for her resignation.
Madam Dapaah subsequently tendered in her resignation to President Nana Addo DankwaAkufo-Addo on Saturday, July 22, 2023, to allow for investigations.
Dr Srem-Sai, also the Managing Partner, Praetorium Solicitors, said citizens were justified for requesting to know the source of the stolen money because Madam Dapaah was a public officer and under obligation to do so.
He urged the former Minister to support her claim of “inconsistencies” in media reportage by providing the actual details.
“It is not enough to say there are inconsistencies, but you need to also state what you think the correct amount is. Until she comes out with the exact amounts and details, we have no basis to question what the police are saying.”
“Not even once has the complainant herself come up with what she thinks she has. So, it’s not enough to just say what the police are saying is not correct. You need to tell us that this is what you had and this is what is missing so, compare the figures to know the truth,” he said.
Dr Richmond Atuahene, Corporate Governance and Banking Consultant, Salman Partners &Financial Consult, said the growing anxiety and suspicion surrounding the case was because of how it was being handled.
He said the practice of stashing money deprived the banks from getting enough money to give out loans to individuals to work with it for the economy to grow.
“Hiding large sums of dollars has negative ramifications on our economy because it erodes the purchasing power of the Ghanaian,” he added.