Embattled former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah, has been charged by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) for failing to declare her assets within 30 days.
Per the Charge Sheet filed on October 6, 2023, Cecilia Dapaah is facing a count of “failing to comply with a lawful demand of an authorized officer of the Office of the Special Prosecutor in the Performance of his function, contrary to section 69(1)(a) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959).”
The brief facts of the case accompanying the charge according to the OSP were that, Madam Cecilia Dapaah was, until July 22, 2023, the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources.
It stated that, Madam Cecilia Dapaah is a suspect under investigation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor for corruption and corruption-related offences.
The OSP stated that the acts including using public office for profit in respect of suspected tainted large cash sums reportedly stolen from her residential premises and also retrieved from same by the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
According to the brief facts, the evidence will establish that on July 24, 2023, the Special Prosecutor in the per performance of his functions, served on the Accused (Cecilia Dapaah) a notice to declare her property and income under regulation 20(1) per Forms 11A and 11B of the First Schedule of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (Operations) Regulations, 2018 (L.I. 2374).
It explained that, “the Accused was duly notified as per the statutory forms and by a cover letter under the seal of the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the seal and mark of the Special Prosecutor, that she was required by law to make the specified declarations and return same to the Office of the Special Prosecutor as per Form 12 of the First Schedule of L.I. 2374, within thirty (30) days of service on her of the notice.”
“As at the close of business on 5th October 2023, the Accused had willfully failed, without lawful excuse, to return the duly completed statutory forms to the Office of the Special Prosecutor, more than thirty (30) days after the service of the notice and forms on her,” the brief facts stated.
The Accused has been duly charged with the offence on the Charge Sheet.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Murtala Inusah
