Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has called on Parliament to investigate the Economic and Organised Crime Office’s (EOCO) handling of the alleged money laundering case involving former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Dapaah.
Kpebu, along with former Auditor-General Daniel Yao Domelevo and other prominent Ghanaians, has filed a petition requesting a bipartisan probe into EOCO’s conduct.
The petitioners argue that EOCO had sufficient grounds to investigate Dapaah, given her inconsistent explanations regarding the large sums of money found in her residence.
“For Kissi [Agyebeng] to have done this and then EOCO looks at it and says that I can’t make a head or tail of this when the evidence is there in plain sight, what is the income of Madam Dapaah to match this colossal sum of in her house? Then you are running around trying to throw dust into our eyes and that is why we want EOCO to be held.
“We will never forget that Madam Tiwaa has such a bad profile of protecting President Akufo-Addo and his appointees. That is how come there is only one conclusion that this one too she tossed the case just to protect President Akufo-Addo.”
“So we want Parliament to set up a bipartisan committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding how EOCO reneged on its statutory duties to investigate the money laundering allegations.”
EOCO, following advice from the Attorney-General, returned the case docket to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), claiming no grounds for investigation.
“Upon receipt of the docket, EOCO did not act timeously to seize the money that the OSP was returning to Madam Cecelia Dapaa as public stated by the OSP”.
Kpebu criticized EOCO’s Executive Director, COP Maame Tiwa Addo-Danquah, accusing her of protecting corrupt officials and failing to perform statutory duties.
The petition highlights concerns over EOCO’s failure to act promptly to secure the seized money and calls for a thorough parliamentary inquiry into the matter.