Two home helpers of Cecilia Abena Dapaah and her husband, Daniel Osei Kuffour, are accused of stealing money and things worth millions of Ghana Cedis in an Accra Circuit Court.
The money was allegedly stolen from the couple’s chamber in their home in Abelemkpe, an Accra neighbourhood in the Greater Accra region.
Patience Botwe, 18, and Sarah Agyei, 30, are accused of stealing the couple’s money and personal effects between July and October 2022.
The first accused, (A1) Patience, is also being prosecuted alongside her current and former partners, as well as her father.
Patience and Sarah (A2) are charged with one count of criminal conspiracy and five charges of stealing US$1 million, €300,000, and millions of Ghana cedis.
Patience and Sarah are accused of stealing Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah’s personal effects, which included various outfits worth GH95,000, handbags, and fragrances.
The rest are Cecilia Abena Dapaah jewels worth $95,000 USD.
Patience, on the other hand, took six pieces of Kente fabric worth GH90,000 and six sets of men’s clothing worth US$3,000 from the minister’s spouse over the same time period.
Benjamin (A3), a 29-year-old plumber, has been accused with receiving GH180,000 fraudulently. Kweku Botwe (A4), a 65-year-old trader dishonestly receiving GH1 million and Malik Dauda (A5) Unemployed at the age of 23, has also been charged with receiving GH50,000 fraudulently.
As previously indicated, the cash described are all Cecilia Abena Dapaah and her husband’s property, stolen from a bedroom she occupies with her spouse.
On Thursday, July 20, 2023, the five defendants were arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court presided over by Susana Ekuful.
Their pleas have not yet been heard, but Sarah has been granted bail in the amount of GH1 million with two sureties. The sureties must deposit their Ghana cards with the court’s registrar.
As a relief judge, Her Honour, Susana Ekuful, stated that the bail condition is subject to reconsideration by the substantive judge.
Patience and her alleged boyfriends, as well as her father, had been remanded in detention under the legislation.
Sarah was given bail due to the fact that she is a breastfeeding mother.
Brief information
Patience, also known as Maabena, was a house help for the complainants, Daniel Osei Kuffour and his wife, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, according to the amended charge sheet and brief facts.
Sarah was also a former house help for the complainants, the court was told. According to Her Honour Susana Ekuful, the complainants reported the issue to the police in June of this year after discovering loss of cash and personal effects.
Patience was found using a duplicate key to open and enter the couple’s room prior to the complaint.
Mr Kuffour apprehended A1 after returning from town and discovering that their bedroom had been opened, as well as hearing a strange noise coming from there.
Mr Kuffour, the first complainant, entered the room and discovered Al cowering behind the closed door.
Following this occurrence, the complainants discovered that some of their belongings had gone missing.
A1 was detained and freed on police investigation bail, but she went into hiding in Tamale with her boyfriend, Benjamin.
While in Tamale, the lovebirds allegedly rented a three-bedroom apartment for GH105,600 and a store for GH120,000.
The police arrested her after receiving information, and a search of their flat yielded US$40,000 and GH 72,619.70.
Patience allegedly paid US$70,000 for a three-bedroom property in Amrahia and furnished it with brand-new appliances such as a double-decker refrigerator, water dispenser, television set, washing machine, and chest cooler.
She also purchased a Hyundai Elantra for Benjamin, who later traded it to purchase a Honda Civic.
A1 also gave her father GH50,000 and Malik (ex-boyfriend) GH1 million. The court heard that A1 accused Sarah of being her accomplice during interrogation.
As a result, when they were working together in the complainants’ house, Al would stand guard at the main gate to let Sarah to enter the couple’s room to steal, after which they would split the spoil.
Sarah was caught in Budumburam, and during the inquiry, it was discovered that she utilised her share of the stolen money to construct the three-bedroom house where she was apprehended.
The lawsuit has been postponed until August 2, 2023.