By Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, clarified that the former sanitation minister, Cecilia Dapaah, was cleared of any corruption-related offense not by his office, but by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
This clarification comes amid reactions to the Attorney General’s advice to the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), advising against further pursuit of a money laundering probe into Cecilia Dapaah’s affairs.
The Attorney General explained that the OSP, tasked with investigating corruption and corruption-related offenses, conducted extensive investigations over seven months, including four months of collaborative investigation with the FBI. Based on these findings, the OSP concluded that there was no evidence of a predicate offense to warrant a money laundering investigation.
Criticism of the Attorney General’s advice has been leveled by anti-corruption agencies and civil society organizations, accusing him of attempting to exonerate Cecilia Dapaah. In response, Godfred Yeboah Dame emphasized that it was the OSP, not his office, that cleared Cecilia Dapaah.
He questioned the accusations against his office, stating that neither EOCO nor the Attorney General’s office had conducted investigations into Cecilia Dapaah for corruption. The OSP’s exhaustive investigation was the basis for clearing her.
Regarding his advice to EOCO, Godfred Yeboah Dame explained that the OSP’s referral regarding Cecilia Dapaah was limited in scope, focusing on funds allegedly transported from the United States to Ghana. Notably, the referral did not encompass funds seized from Dapaah’s residence, frozen bank accounts, or funds allegedly misappropriated by her house staff.
In the interview, the Attorney General also criticized some reactions, including those from the Centre for Democratic Development, as misleading.
