The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has filed a lawsuit against former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, for failing to declare her income upon a lawful demand. The OSP alleges that this action by the former minister is in violation of Section 69(1)(a) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017, Act 959.
According to the OSP, after freezing Dapaah’s accounts and property on suspicion of corruption and corruption-related offenses, she was notified to “make the specified declarations and return the same to the Office of the Special Prosecutor as per Form 12 of the First Schedule of LI 2374, within thirty (30) days of service on her of the notice.” This notification was made on Monday, July 24, when her property and accounts were initially frozen.
The OSP stated in court documents that, “as of the close of business on October 5, 2023, the accused had willfully failed, without lawful excuse, to return the duly completed statutory forms to the Office of the Special Prosecutor, more than thirty (30) days after the service of the notice and forms to her.”
This legal action follows a series of events, starting with the arrest of Cecilia Abena Dapaah on charges of corruption and corruption-related offenses. The OSP had authorized a search at her three residences, where a significant amount of cash was discovered. Subsequently, her property was seized, but the Financial Division of the High Court ordered the OSP to return the seized property, citing a lack of justifiable basis for the seizure.
The case against Cecilia Abena Dapaah underscores the importance of financial transparency and accountability in public office, and the outcome of the lawsuit will be closely monitored.
The former minister resigned from her position in July 2023, following public discourse regarding her reported stolen cash and the subsequent search of her residences.