COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, the Executive Director of the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), asserts that she is not subject to political pressure to look into and prosecute cases.
This occurred weeks after Cecilia Dapaah, the former minister of water and sanitation, was the subject of a suspected money laundering case that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) referred to EOCO for additional investigation and prosecution.
The OSP had already declared that it was dropping all charges against the former minister because there was no reliable evidence.
Speaking at an anti-corruption forum, however, Madam Tiwah Addo Danquah stated that her office will only take action if misconduct is proven.
“Sometimes when I hear people say I am handling a case and I have powers from above directing me, fortunately for me I have not had that because you are guided by the law.
“Nobody will direct you when you have evidence. It is when you don’t have evidence, when you haven’t been able to put evidence together then someone can tell you not to do this.
“But if you have done your work in such a way that you have evidence, very solid evidence, you just have to explain to the person that these are my evidence, these are A, B and C and they are solid and I am presenting it to the court.
“Nobody can stop you but we hide behind powers from above and we are put back and we disappoint the citizens but they have given you the mandate to do the job,” she explained.
The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, withdrew her request on Thursday, January 25, to validate the confiscation and freezing of Madam Cecilia Dapaah’s funds and bank accounts.
After an initial motion was rejected by the court for not following the regulations, the Office submitted a duplicate application to confirm the seizure of $590,000 and GH₵2.73 million found in her residence and the freezing of her seven bank accounts.
The same court was hearing a case in which Madam Dapaah was accused by the OSP of neglecting to disclose her assets.
Nevertheless, on January 25, 2024, the OSP decided to dismiss the two charges against the former Minister following a hearing in chambers with the judge and the defense attorneys.
Sources claimed that the OSP was also given a 72-hour window by the court to unfreeze the accounts and send the confiscated money back to Madam Dapaah and her husband, Daniel Osei Kuffuor, however, it is unclear what factors went into that decision.
