OSP takes Cecilia Dapaah case a notch higher, shifts focus to money laundering

The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has released his outfit’s half-year report for the year 2023 in accordance with the laws governing the office, providing updates on a litany of cases it is either investigating or prosecuting.

Among the cases it gave an update on in the 20-page report dated December 29, 2023, included the Cecilia Dapaah scandal.

The Special Prosecutor is investigating Cecilia Dapaah, a former Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, and her spouse, Mr. Daniel Osei-Kufour, for suspected corruption and corruption-related offences regarding large amounts of money (mainly in foreign denominations) and other valuable items found in their apartment.

In its latest report, the Special Prosecutor said his investigations show that “the case is largely in the province of suspected money laundering and structuring.”

“By operation of law, there are other law enforcement agencies which are reposed with a direct mandate in respect of money laundering and structuring. On that score, the Special Prosecutor will issue directives and further action on the matter in due course,” the OSP added.

Background
The Office started its probe in July 2023 after news broke that domestic helpers of Cecilia Dapaah had stolen her millions of cash involving local and foreign currencies.

While the domestic helpers were undergoing investigation and prosecution, the OSP started probing Cecilia Dapaah and her husband, Mr. Daniel Osei-Kufour, in a bid to unravel the source of the money.

After searching their Abelenkpe residence, the OSP later froze a number of the former minister’s bank accounts.

“The investigation has been largely aimed at determining the source(s) of the large cash sums. The Office took several steps including freezing Ms. Dapaah’s bank accounts and investments and seizing large sums from the residence of Ms. Dapaah and her spouse. Upon the refusal by the High Court to confirm the freezing and seizure orders, the Office re-seized the cash sums and re-froze the bank accounts and investments and applied to the court again for confirmation in FT0074/2023 The Special Prosecutor v. Cecilia Abena Dapaah & Daniel Osei-Kufour.”

“From October 2023, the investigation became cross-border and transboundary upon the claim by the persons of interest that part of the seized cash sums was transported into the jurisdiction from the United States. For that reason, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States became involved in a collaborative investigative work with the OSP on the matter.”

In October 2023, the Special Prosecutor revoked the freezing order in respect of five (5) bank accounts of Ms. Dapaah, which were eliminated from the focus of the investigation as no longer suspected to be tainted property