A former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah has opposed the application by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) seeking to freeze her accounts and seize her property.
This follows the OSP’s filing of a motion for confirmation of order of freezing and seizure of the former Minister’s tainted property.
The OSP said to facilitate investigations, it considered it necessary for the issuance of a “freezing order against the bank account and investment of the former Minister at Prudential Bank Limited and Societe General Ghana in accordance with Section 38 (1) of Act 959 and regulation 19 (I) of LI 2374”.
Subsequently, the OSP conducted searches in three residential properties associated with the former Minister at Cantonment, Abelemkpe and Tesano all in Accra.
In a virtual sitting of the High Court, Victoria Barth, who represented Madam Dapaah, contended that the application of the OSP was brought in flagrant of the OSP’s own enabling law and same sought to perpetrate the arbitrary exercise of powers based on nothing more than suspicion fueled by misrepresentation of facts and media frenzy.
Dr Isidore Tufour, Counsel for the OSP, argued that the application of the OSP was in line with Special Prosecutor’s Act, Act (959) to prevent the concealment of a property believed to be tainted with corruption.
The court, after listening to arguments of the parties, fixed August 31, 2023, to rule on whether it could confirm the OSP’s application.
The OSP had written letters to two banks to freeze the accounts of the former Sanitation Minister in its bid to conduct investigations into suspected corruption-related offences.
The OSP earlier said it found $590,000 and GHC2,730,000 in the home of the former Minister during a search on July 24, 2023.
The investigations followed news reports that the former Minister’s domestic help had allegedly stolen $ 1million, 300,000 Euros and personal effects of the Minister and her husband.
Following public uproar over the alleged theft, the Minister resigned, but was picked up by the OSP and granted bail.