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Court adjourns Cecilia Dapaah’s application to stop OSP from freezing her accounts to 1 February
The Human Rights Court siting in Accra has adjourned to 1 February 2024 the case in which former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, and her husband, Daniel Osei Kuffuor, have filed an interlocutory injunction application against the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to restrain the Office from continuing to freeze Madam Dapaah’s accounts and seizing cash recovered from their residence.
The court on Tuesday, January 16 adjourned the hearing to February 1.
The OSP froze the former minister’s Prudential Bank and Société Générale bank accounts after huge sums of money were recovered from her home during a search.
On August 31, 2023, the High Court in Accra ordered the OSP to return the $590,000 and GH¢2.73 million seized from Cecilia Dapaah’s home within seven days.
On Monday, July 24, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) placed Cecilia Abena Dapaah under arrest. She was interrogated by officers of the OSP, a statement said.
“At 11:55 GMT on 24th July 2023, Cecilia Abena Dapaah who resigned from the position of Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources on 22nd July 2023 was placed under arrest by the Office of the Special Prosecutor in respect of suspected corruption and corruption-related offenses regarding large amounts of money and valuable items reportedly stolen from her residence. Ms Dapaah is being questioned by authorized officers of the OSP,” the OSP said in the statement.
Madam Cecilia Dapaah tendered her resignation in a letter to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Saturday, July 22 barely 24 hours after news of some foreign cash stolen from her bedroom came to light.
“I intend to cooperate fully with all the state agencies to enable them fully establish the facts,” she assured in her letter.
“I have no doubt that at the end of the process it will be established that I have conducted myself with integrity during my period in public service and I will be fully exonerated from all the allegations,” she further said.
Madam Cecilia Dapaah was said to have kept $1 million, €300,000 and millions of undisclosed Ghana Cedis at home.
These monies were allegedly stolen by two house helps, for which they are standing trial at an Accra Circuit Court.
She had earlier indicated that there were inconsistencies with the facts and the public reports.
She, therefore, insisted in her resignation letter that the figures put out in the public domain do not correctly reflect what she and her husband submitted to the police in their statement.
The former lawmaker, however, admits she understands the import of such stories around someone of her stature.
“I am resigning, therefore, because I do not want such a matter to become a preoccupation of government and a hindrance to the work of government at such a crucial time.”
Source: 3news.com
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
