Cecilia Dapaah’s seized funds must be returned to her by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) within 72 hours, per an Accra High Court order.
This comes after the OSP filed an application to validate the orders for asset seizures and bank account freezing about the former Minister’s residence. The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) will take up the case, the Special Prosecutor announced during a press conference.
“The Office withdrew its application, which was pending before the High Court, for confirmation of the seizure and freezing orders in response to the case being referred to EOCO, a little over an hour ago.
“The court order requires the office to return the cash amounts and defreeze the accounts of Mrs. Dapaah’s investment within 72 hours,” said Kissi Agyebeng.
Mr. Agyebeng clarified that his investigation’s current findings point to a potential case of money laundering. EOCO meets the higher qualification standard for handling cases involving “possible instances of money laundering and the associated process of organizing.”
In October 2023, the FBI and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) worked together to launch a coordinated investigation into the personal lives of former sanitation minister Cecilia Dapaah and her husband, Daniel Osei Kuffour.
This joint campaign sought to clarify the legitimacy of the wealth amassed by Ms. Dapaah and her associates through the corridors of both Ghana and the United States.
The Special Prosecutor stressed in his remarks on Thursday, January 25, 2024, that his office will keep up its close collaboration with the FBI and EOCO on the case.
