Court to rule on OSP-Cecilia Dapaah account freeze case on August 31

• Posted on August 17, 2023August 17, 2023
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The Financial Division of the Accra High Court has set Thursday, August 31 as date to give its ruling of the case brought before it by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), seeking confirmation of order to freeze the bank accounts of former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

The case was moved in court on Thursday, August 17.

The OSP had initiated investigations of corruption and corruption-related offences against Madam Abena Dapaah after criminal proceedings at an Accra Circuit Court revealed that about $1 million, €300,000 and some millions were missing from her home.

“On the basis of the totality of the criminal intelligence gathered by the OSP and that large sums of money were physically stashed at the residences of the respondent circa between July and October 2022, the Special Prosecutor directed full investigation into corruption and corruption-related offences involving the respondent as the circumstances reasonably indicated to the OSP that the source of the cash sums stated as belonging to the respondent (a public officer at the time) on the charge sheet in D4/155/2023 The Republic v. Patience Botwe & Three Ors. was suspicious and that the cash sums were suspected tainted property as being proceeds from corruption and corruption-related offences,” portions of OSP’s writ dated Tuesday, August 8 said.

A search was, therefore, mounted in three residences of the former Bantama Member of Parliament (MP), leading to the discovery of $590,000 and GH¢2.73 million at her Abelemkpe residence.

“Authorised officers of the OSP seized the discovered cash sums on reasonable grounds that they were suspected tainted property in accordance with section 32(1) of Act 959 as it was necessary to exercise the power of seizure to prevent concealment of the cash sums.”

The OSP subsequently issued a freezing order against the bank accounts and investments of Madam Abena Dapaah at Prudential Bank and Societe Generale Bank in accordance with section 38(1) of Act 959 and regulation 19(1) of LI 2374.

But it sought the Court’s confirmation on the order, for which ruling is scheduled for Thursday, August 31.