By The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has pledged to reopen investigations into the scandal involving former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Mr. Mahama declared, “My government will reopen investigations into alleged acts of corruption and graft in the Cecelia Dapaah case.”
His statement follows the advice from the Attorney General’s office against conducting money laundering investigations into the former Sanitation Minister’s affairs by the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO). The Attorney General determined that the request by the Special Prosecutor’s Office (OSP) to EOCO to initiate money laundering investigations into Cecilia Dapaah’s affairs lacked a solid foundation.
The OSP made this request after determining that the case, which involved over $1 million cash found in the former minister’s house by its officers, did not fall under its jurisdiction. Instead, it raised concerns about money laundering.
This information was revealed after several months of collaborative investigation with agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States.
However, upon EOCO’s request for advice on the matter, the Attorney General’s office discovered that the OSP had not submitted the report on the joint investigation to EOCO and had not responded to EOCO’s request for its findings.
According to the Attorney General’s office, the docket presented to EOCO only includes the OSP’s letter transmitting the docket, the diary of action, statements recorded during the investigation, and letters written by OSP to other institutions like the CID and banks during the inquiry.
The Attorney General’s office’s examination of the docket indicated that the OSP did not uncover any corruption or corruption-related offenses involving Cecilia Dapaah. Nevertheless, the Attorney General’s office asserts that the crux of a money laundering charge lies in gains derived from criminal proceeds stemming from illicit activities.
The Attorney General’s office concludes that in the absence of any criminal issues tied to the assets of the NPP Politician, there is no foundation for a money laundering investigation.
As such, in an X post on Wednesday, Mr. Mahama stated, “My government will reopen investigations into alleged acts of corruption and graft in the Cecelia Dapaah case.”
My government will reopen investigations into alleged acts of corruption and graft in the Cecelia Dapaah case.
— John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama) May 2, 2024
