Some Minority Members of Parliament (MPs) say it was unlawful for Cecilia Dapaah, to have kept such an amount of money in her house.
The Member of Parliament for Bole Bamboi, Yussif Sulemana, said in a Citi News interview that he expects President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to immediately sack the Minister while investigations commence into the legitimacy of the money.
“I expect the President to fire her if it’s true that she kept that huge sum of money in her house. The question is where did she get the money? If indeed that money was legitimate, why did she put it in her house instead of the bank? If it is indeed established that this woman was keeping such sums of money, the first thing is for the President to sack her. That’s the only way we would know that the President is fighting corruption. The President must act and act immediately. The next stage is that any state institution interested in investigating her could do so freely,” Mr. Sulemana added.
The NDC MP for the Kumbungu constituency, Hamza Adam, also speaking to Citi News, said it would be shocking if it is indeed established that the said monies were kept in the house of the Minister.
“Every minister of state has the right to own properties provided those properties are owned on the back of legitimacy. The issue surrounding Cecilia Dapaah is something that has come up as a shock, especially when everyone knows that the country is in a crisis. It will be surprising if indeed such monies were kept by her in her house. We have to establish the truth of the matter.”
“We are expecting the proper legal action to be taken and an investigation triggered to establish where she got the money from. I think it is illegal to keep such money in your house,” the Kumbungu MP added.
Background
Two house helps working for Cecilia Abena Dapaah, the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, and her husband, Mr. Daniel Osei Kuffour are facing charges at an Accra Circuit Court, for allegedly stealing monies and items worth millions of cedis from the couple’s residence at Abelemkpe in Accra.
The accused individuals, 18-year-old Patience Botwe and 30-year-old Sarah Agyei, have been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and five counts of stealing.
The alleged thefts occurred between July and October 2022.
During this period, the house helps allegedly stole personal effects belonging to Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah, including assorted clothes valued at GH¢95,000, handbags, perfumes, and jewellery worth US$95,000.
Additionally, Ms. Botwe is accused of stealing six pieces of Kente cloth worth GH¢90,000 and six sets of men’s suits valued at US$3,000, which belong to the minister’s husband.
Furthermore, three other individuals, identified as Ms. Botwe’s current and former boyfriends and her father, are also facing charges for allegedly being involved in the crime. They have been respectively charged with dishonestly receiving GH¢1 million, GH¢180,000, and GH¢50,000.
According to court proceedings, the stolen monies and items belonged to Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah and her husband, taken from their bedroom in their residence.
The accused individuals were arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Susana Ekuful, on Thursday, July 20, 2023. However, their pleas have not been taken yet.
he court granted bail to Sarah Agyei in the sum of GH¢1 million with two sureties. The sureties are required to deposit their Ghana cards with the court’s registrar. The bail conditions are subject to review by the substantive judge, as Susana Ekuful was serving as a relief judge.
On the other hand, Ms. Botwe, along with her alleged boyfriends and father, have been remanded into lawful custody.
The complainants reported the theft case to the police in June 2023 after discovering the missing cash and personal effects. Ms. Botwe was caught red-handed entering the couple’s room with a duplicate key, leading to her arrest.
Further investigations revealed that Patience, with the help of her alleged accomplice Sarah, had hidden the stolen money and used it to purchase properties and expensive items.
Brief facts
According to the amended charge sheet and brief facts presented in court, Ms. Botwe, also known as Maabena, was a house help of the complainants, Daniel Osei Kuffour and his wife, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
The court heard that Ms. Agyei was also a former house help of the complainants. The complainants reported the case to the police in June of this year after detecting the theft of cash and their personal effects.
Ms. Botwe was caught entering the couple’s room with a duplicate key.
Upon entering the room, Mr. Kuffour found Ms. Botwe hiding behind the door.
After the incident, the complainants realized that some of their properties were missing.
Ms. Botwe was arrested and released on police enquiry bail but went into hiding with her boyfriend, Benjamin, in Tamale.
While in Tamale, they allegedly rented a 3-bedroom apartment and a store.
Upon intelligence, the police arrested Ms. Botwe, leading to the retrieval of US$40,000 and GH¢72,619.70 from their apartment.
Ms. Botwe allegedly used the stolen money to buy a 3-bedroom house, a double-decker refrigerator, a water dispenser, a television set, a washing machine, and a chest cooler, among other items.
She also bought a Hyundai Elantra for Benjamin, who later sold it to purchase a Honda Civic.
Ms. Botwe also gave her father GH¢50,000 and GH¢1 million to her ex-boyfriend, Malik. During interrogation, Ms. Botwe implicated Sarah as her accomplice.
The case is set to continue on August 2, 2023.
