The Special Prosecutor’s Office has replied to the court’s order, requesting that the monies confiscated from former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah be released.
In a letter, Special Prosecutor Lawyer Kissi Agyebeng stated that while his office respected the court’s ruling, they did not agree with the decision to release all of the cash they had on hand.
According to the letter, the Office of the Special Prosecutor submitted an application to seize and freeze the account inside the anticipated time limit, rather than outside the time frame claimed by the court during the hearing.
The statement begins, “While the OSP respects the Court’s decision, it disagrees with the Court’s decision.” First, the OSP thinks that the Court’s calculation of the time limit is incorrect.
Over the course of two (2) weeks, the OSP searched three (3) private residences affiliated with Ms. Dapaah. During that time, the searches and discoveries were continuous. Once the search and discovery window is considered, there is little doubt that the OSP filed their application within the statutory window.”
The OSP further claimed that the actions of freezing and seizing assets were based on a reasonable suspicion that the sums of money in the accounts of the troubled former minister were questionable.
“Second,” the statement continued, “the seizure by the OSP and the Special Prosecutor’s freezing order were carried out on the very firm basis of reasonable suspicion that the amounts and bank balances were tainted property because Ms. Dapaah prevaricated as to the source(s) of the amounts she reported stolen from her residence, the amounts discovered by the OSP in her residence, and the volume of transactions in her bank accounts and investments.”
