The Office of Special Prosecutor has reseized monies it had found at the residence of embattled former Minister of Water and Sanitation, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
The OSP has also refrozen the former minister’s bank accounts.
This was after it complied with an order by an Accra High Court to return the monies it had seized and unfreeze her bank accounts.
“The Special Prosecutor has again invoked his statutory power under section 32(1)(a) of Act 959 by directing the seizure from Ms. Dapaah of the cash amounts previously seized from her. Authorised officers of the OSP have seized said cash amounts from Ms. Dapaah”.
It added, “The Special Prosecutor has again invoked his statutory power under section 38(1) of Act 959 and regulation 19(1) of LI 2374 by directing the freezing of the bank accounts and investments of Ms. Dapaah effective September 5, 2023”.
The OSP, as part of investigation into allegations of corruption and corruption related offences levelled against the former minister, had conducted searches in her 3 residences in Accra.
The search led to the discovery of staggering amounts of cash stashed in her Abelemkpe residence and huge volumes of transactions in her bank accounts.
Suspecting that the monies and investments are tainted property, the OSP seized the cash amounts and ordered the freezing of her bank accounts. It subsequently applied to the court for the confirmation of the seizure and freezing of the court.
However, in a ruling delivered on August 31, 2023, the court refused to grant the confirmation.
It consequently ordered the OSP to unfreeze the accounts and return the monies it had seized within 7 days.
But barely after complying with the court’s order today, the OSP took possession of the monies again and ordered the refreezing of the accounts.
In a statement released today, the Office explained that its action is necessary to aid investigation into the matter and prevent concealment or loss of the cash amounts as it insists it has reasonable grounds to suspect that the monies found at the politician’s home are tainted property.
It added that it “has uncovered varying and sometimes conflicting accounts of the ownership and source(s) of the large amounts of money reportedly stolen from her residence, the cash amounts seized from her by the OSP, and the nature and volume of transactions in her bank accounts and investments”.
