Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has issued the half-year report for the year 2023 in compliance with the laws governing the office.
The 20-page report, dated December 29, 2023, provides updates on various cases under investigation or prosecution.
One of the cases highlighted in the report is the Cecilia Dapaah scandal. The Special Prosecutor is currently investigating Cecilia Dapaah, a former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, and her spouse, Mr. Daniel Osei-Kufour, for suspected corruption and corruption-related offences.
The investigation is focused on significant amounts of money, mainly in foreign denominations, and other valuable items discovered in their apartment.
According to the latest report, the Special Prosecutor indicated that the investigations primarily revolve around suspected money laundering and structuring
“By operation of law, there are other law enforcement agencies that are reposed with a direct mandate in respect of money laundering and structuring. On that score, the Special Prosecutor will issue directives and further action on the matter in due course,” the OSP added.
Background
The Office started its probe in July 2023 after news broke that domestic helpers of Cecilia Dapaah had stolen millions of dollars in cash involving local and foreign currencies.
While the domestic helpers were undergoing investigation and prosecution, the OSP started probing Cecilia Dapaah and her husband, Mr. Daniel Osei-Kufour, in a bid to unravel the source of the money.
After searching their Abelenkpe residence, the OSP later froze a number of the former minister’s bank accounts.
“The investigation has been largely aimed at determining the source(s) of the large cash sums. The office took several steps, including freezing Ms. Dapaah’s bank accounts and investments and seizing large sums from the residence of Ms. Dapaah and her spouse. Upon the refusal by the High Court to confirm the freezing and seizure orders, the Office re-seized the cash sums, re-froze the bank accounts and investments and applied to the court again for confirmation in FT0074/2023, The Special Prosecutor v. Cecilia Abena Dapaah & Daniel Osei-Kufour.”
“From October 2023, the investigation became cross-border and transboundary upon the claim by the persons of interest that part of the seized cash sums was transported into the jurisdiction from the United States. For that reason, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States became involved in collaborative investigative work with the OSP on the matter.”
In October 2023, the Special Prosecutor revoked the freezing order in respect of five (5) bank accounts of Ms. Dapaah, which were eliminated from the focus of the investigation as no longer suspected to be tainted property.