Cecilia Dapaah is being charged by OSP for not declaring her income and property.

Cecilia Dapaah, the former minister of sanitation and water resources, is being accused by the Office of the Special Prosecutor for not following their order to disclose her assets and income.

In the course of its investigations, Cecilia Dapaah was required by the Office of the Special Prosecutor to disclose her assets and income.

Investigators are looking into Cecilia Dapaah for possible corruption and offenses related to it, such as using her position of public trust for personal gain in connection with alleged “tainted large cash sums reportedly stolen from her residential premises.” Cecilia Dapaah

The aforementioned substantial sum of money was taken from her home by the Office of the Special Prosecutor. Cecilia Dapaah

Cecilia Dapaah has failed, within thirty (30) days, to comply with a notice to declare her property and income served on her by the Special Prosecutor on July 24, 2023, under regulation 20(1) per Forms 1A and 1B of the First Schedule of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (Operations) Regulations, 2018 (L.I. 2374), as specified in regulation 20(2) and Form 21 of the First Schedule of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (Operations) Regulations, 2018 (L.I. 2374). This is according to the Office of the Special Prosecutor, per a Charge Sheet signed by Kissi Agyebeng and filed on October 6, 2023, without a valid reason. Cecilia Dapaah

Thus, in violation of section 69(1)(a) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), the OSP has charged the former minister with one count of failing to comply with a legitimate demand of an authorized officer of the Office of the Special Prosecutor in the course of his activities.

See below the complete charge sheet that was submitted on October 6, 2023.

COUNT ONE

STATEMENT OF OFFENCE

FAILING TO COMPLY WITH A LAWFUL DEMAND OF AN AUTHORISED OFFICER OF THE OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR NI THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS FUNCTIONS, contrary to section 69(1) (a) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959).

PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE

CECILIA ABENA DAPAAH, 68 years, circa 25 August 2023 in Accra in the Greater Accra Region of the Republic of Ghana and within the jurisdiction of this Court, being a suspect under investigation for corruption and corruption-related offenses including using public office for profit in respect of suspected tainted large cash sums reportedly stolen from your residential premises and also retrieved from same by the Office of the Special Prosecutor, without lawful excuse, failed, within thirty (30) days, to comply with a notice to declare your property and income served on you by the Special Prosecutor on 24 July 2023 under regulation 20(1) per Forms 1A and 1B of the First Schedule of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (Operations) Regulations, 2018 (L.I. 2374) as specified in regulation 20(2) and Form 21 of the First Schedule of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (Operations) Regulations, 2018 (L.I. 2374).

Dated at the Office of the Special Prosecutor, 6 Haile Selassie Avenue, South Ridge Accra this Sixth day of October 2023.

FACTS TO BE ADDUCED

The Accused was, until 22 July 2023, the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources.

She is a suspect under investigation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor for corruption and corruption-related offenses including using public office for profit in respect of suspected tainted large cash sums reportedly stolen from her residential premises and also retrieved from same by the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

The evidence will establish that on 24 July 2023, the Special Prosecutor, in the performance of his functions, served on the Accused a notice to declare her property and income under regulation 20(1) per Forms 11A and 11B of the First Schedule of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (Operations) Regulations, 2018 (L.I. 2374).

The Accused was duly notified as per the statutory forms and by a cover letter under the seal of the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the seal and mark of the Special Prosecutor, that she was required by law to make the specified declarations and return same to the Office of the Special Prosecutor as per Form 12 of the First Schedule of L.I. 2374, within thirty (30) days of service on her of the notice.

As at the close of business on 5 October 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 on her.

The Accused has been duly charged with the offense on the Charge Sheet.

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