Akufo-Addo may have compromised the investigations on Cecilia Dapaah case – Ohene Ntow

A Former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who has crossed the carpet to support independent presidential candidate Alan Kyerematen, has accused President Akufo-Addo of making a prejudicial statement in the case against former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

It is recalled that President Akufo-Addo applauded Madam Dapaah as she resigned from his government. Madam Abena Dapaah tendered her resignation on Saturday, July 22, last year barely 24 hours after the public discourse on her stolen cash.

Accepting her resignation, President Akufo-Addo described the work done by the former Bantama Member of Parliament as “excellent and productive”.

“It is with considerable regret that I accept your resignation, and I applaud your loyalty to the image and standing of the government,” he wrote on Saturday.

“The work you undertook during your period in Government was excellent and productive, and I thank you for your wholehearted contribution and devotion to the progress of the Government and the nation.”

In her resignation, Madam Abena Dapaah assured of her availability and cooperation with all state agencies to look into her matter, which she concedes has become a “hindrance” to the government at this “crucial” time.

“I have no doubt that at the end of the processes it will be established that I have conducted myself with integrity during my period in public service and I will be fully exonerated from all the allegations,” she further stated in her resignation letter. President Akufo-Addo also expressed confidence that “at the end of the day, your integrity, whilst in office, will be fully established”.

Later, the Office of the Attorney-General advised the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) not to initiate any move to investigate money laundering in the dealings of the former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah.

Upon a request for advice by EOCO on the matter, the Attorney-General’s office, in a letter dated April 25, 2024, and copied to EOCO, said it found that the OSP did not submit the report on its collaborative investigation to EOCO.

Additionally, the office noted the OSP has not responded to EOCO’s request for its findings.

According to the Attorney-General’s office, the docket presented to EOCO only contains the OSP’s letter transmitting the docket, the diary of action, statements taken during the investigation, and letters written by the OSP to other institutions like the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and banks for inquiries.

Speaking on the Key Points on TV3 on Saturday, May 4, Nana Ohene Ntow said “The president may have comprised this investigation right from day one. Once you get the sense that the president wants this matter to drift in a certain way, you can’t do the investigation.

“So, the president himself has not helped the matter. The president politicized this matter from day one, before the lawyers or the investigators came.”