The theft case involving Cecilia Dapaah, a former minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, has made Ghanaians more aware of the extent of public officials’ theft from the state.
The minister is keeping more money than she has made as a minister in seven years. The origin of the funds is under investigation, and there are also tax and money laundering concerns.
Ghanaians are now realising how much money was involved just a few days after learning that domestic staff had stolen millions from the residence of the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources.
This is the amount that has been discovered in the Former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources’ residence, as well as the amount frozen at Prudential Bank.
The Following is breakdown of how much has been uncovered so far per the current exchange rate:
Amounts Found in Cecilia Dapaah’s Abelemkpe Home;
- $590,000 = 7,080,000 cedis
- 2.73 million cedis cash
Total cash in cedis =9,810,000
Media reports confirm that two bank accounts in Prudential and Societe Generale are frozen.
Amounts frozen in Prudential Bank Accounts;
- US 5 million dollars = 60 million cedis
- 48 million cedis
- 1 million cedis in an investment account
Total cash in cedis – 109,000,000
A total of one hundred and nine million cedis.
Break down of amounts stolen by domestic staff.
According to the initial report, the domestic workers stole around 20 million cedis, but as more goods were uncovered and included in the court’s amended charge sheet, the specifics kept changing.
- $1 million dollars = 12,000,000
- 300,000 Euros = 3,900,000
- Jewellery $95,000 =1,140,000
- Bags = 95,000 cedis
This brings the total amount as we know to about 140,000,000 million cedis.
This amount excludes the value of the property that have been discovered.
Background
Multiple theft-related accusations have been brought against two house-helps who worked for the Former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources. The house-helps stole millions of cedis, dollars, and goods in jewellery and kente cloth worth thousands of cedis along with their accomplices, which included a boyfriend, an ex-boyfriend, and the father of one of their house-helps.
The house-helps and their collaborators purchased properties in the Central, Northern, and Greater Accra regions.
The suspected theft allegedly occurred in 2022 between July and October.
Ghanaians flooded the OSP’s office with over 200 formal complaints regarding the source of the monies due to the amounts involved.
The Special Prosecutor then announced that his office was investigating the situation, beginning with the arrest and subsequent bail of Madam Cecilia Dapaah.
The Circuit Court in Accra has remanded five of the seven suspects. In consideration of their responsibilities as nursing mothers, two more accused were granted bail amounts of 1 million cedis each with three sureties.
Source:www.247newsgh.com
