OSP Arrests Cecilia Dapaah Over Suspected Corruption Offences
The Office of the Special Prosecutor has arrested the immediate past Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources Cecilia Abena Dapaah over corruption and corruption-related offences.
She was arrested on Monday, July 24, barely 48 hours after she resigned following widespread news of the theft of huge cash from her Abelemkpe residence.
According to the prosecution, the culprits stole the items between July and October 2022.
The accused persons are facing one count of conspiracy to commit a crime and five counts of stealing.
The accused allegedly used the stolen funds to finance various purchases, including renting a three-bedroom apartment and a store in Tamale, buying vehicles, and funding other personal expenses.
The reports sparked various reactions from the public, with many calling for a probe into the source of wealth of the former minister.
Less than 48 hours after the issue went viral, she tendered her resignation letter to President Nana Akufo-Addo.
According to her, she does not want the case “to become a preoccupation of government and a hindrance to the work of government at such a crucial time”.
“I intend to cooperate fully with all state agencies to enable them fully establish the facts, I have no doubt whatsoever that at the end of the processes, it will be fully established that I have conducted myself with integrity during my period in public service and I will be fully exonerated from all the allegations that have filled the public domain in the past 24 hours,” Madam Cecilia Dapaah added.
However, it seems the issue may not end anytime soon as the OSP has taken up the matter to investigate the activities of the former minister.
Prior to the arrest, the OSP said they had received hundreds of petitions to investigate Madam Cecilia Dapaah.
Meanwhile, President Nana Akufo-Addo has accepted her resignation, and a new sanitation minister is expected to be appointed soon.