EOCO Takes Charge of Investigation into Cecilia Dapaah’s Financial Affairs and Assets as OSP Concludes Initial Probe

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has officially handed over the inquiry into the financial dealings and assets of former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, and her associates to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).

In a statement released on Thursday, the OSP clarified that despite an exhaustive seven-month investigation, neither direct nor immediate evidence of corruption was discovered in the seized funds and frozen bank accounts associated with Ms. Dapaah. The parallel investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States also yielded no corruption-related findings.

The OSP emphasized that although strong indications of suspected money laundering and structuring were identified, these offenses do not align with the mandate of the Office, as defined under section 79 of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959).

“Cognizant of its obligation to cooperate and coordinate with other law enforcement agencies as per section 3 of Act 959, the OSP has transferred the case to EOCO for further investigation,” the statement read.

Highlighting actions taken in August 2023, the OSP noted that it froze Ms. Dapaah’s bank accounts and seized $590,000 and GH¢2.73 million from her residence following reports of a significant amount of cash in cedis and foreign currencies being stolen. The office has been engaged in legal proceedings to affirm the frozen accounts and confirm the seized funds, with a portion of the investigation entrusted to the FBI due to allegations involving the transfer of funds from the United States.