GII blasts OSP, EOCO in Cecilia Dapaah’s case
The Executive Director of Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Mary Adda, has conveyed serious criticisms towards the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) regarding their handling of the investigation involving former sanitation minister Cecilia Dapaah.
Mary Adda voiced her concerns about the direction the case has taken, stating that it raises questions about potential bias and the perception that certain influential individuals may be immune to legal repercussions.
One of the main issues highlighted by Madam Adda was the apparent lack of effective communication between EOCO and OSP, which has resulted in a stalemate in certain aspects of the investigation.
She expressed disappointment over this situation, emphasizing that the failure to coordinate and share information is hindering progress in uncovering the truth.
The GII Executive Director suggested that the attitudes and actions of these two key investigative bodies suggest there may be undisclosed information or an attempt to pass responsibility back and forth.
“This begins to give the impression to some of us that there is something we are not being told. Everybody is trying to shift the burden to the other and that is not fair. It was myself or you, Bernard, people will work. EOCO will sit up, they will do suspicious transaction tracing, and they will work with the Financial Intelligence Center (FIC) if it was necessary.
“So the impression is being created that some people are untouchable and so if we do not want to touch them, we shift the burden to the other and we continue to shift until we give it to those who cannot do anything about it. So that is the impression and I believe that is why CDD is saying it is a done deal,” she remarked.
Madam Adda’s comments underscore the importance of transparency, accountability, and cooperation within Ghana’s law enforcement and anti-graft agencies.
This comes after EOCO hinted that it intended to return the docket on the former minister to the OSP.
The Executive Director of EOCO, COP Maame Yaa Tiwa Addo-Danquah, upon the advice from the Office of the Attorney General against the initiation of money laundering investigations into Cecilia Dapaah, citing failure by the OSP to establish evidence of corruption or corruption-related offences.
She said that there was nothing her outfit could do.
However, the Director of Strategy, Research, and Communications at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) Samuel Appiah Darko, disclosed that EOCO had already returned the docket on former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah.