Daniel Osei Kuffuor, the husband of former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah has told the High Court in Accra that he was “shocked” and “surprised” at learning that, one of her former house help, Sarah Agyei, masterminded the alleged stealing of money from them.
According to him, Sarah Agyei was very faithful in the five-year period that she had worked with them as a house help.
It, however, came as a surprise to him when investigations later revealed that, she masterminded the act with the other accused persons.
Mr. Osei Kuffuor, 85 a Professional Architect with over 50 years of experience made this known while facing cross-examination from lawyers of Sarah Agyei, the 2nd Accused on May 3.
It was the case of Augustine’s Gyamfi, Counsel for the 2nd Accused that, his client had been a faithful house help for the Complainants (Cecilia Dapaah and husband) and wondered the rationale for her to be linked with the act.
In his response, Mr Osei Kuffuor, the first of the six Witnesses of the Prosecution said, he was surprised when investigations revealed Sarah Agyei had a link with the other accused persons.
“I was very surprised to find out that they were linked up. Because the five years, I never suspected anything so I was shocked when I found out that she was linked up in this matter,” Mr Osei Kuffour told the Court.
Asked by Counsel if he is surprised and “still did not believe” that the 2nd Accused was involved in the matter, Mr Kuffuor who was testifying as the first prosecution witness said, “Now that I have had all the information, I know that she is even a part of it and she was even the mastermind.”
While putting to the Witness, Counsel said, the Witness had no information that, his client (Sarah Agyei) masterminded the act and that if he had any such information, “you would have stated it clearly in black and white in your witness statement.”
The Witness in his response said, “I have the information,” and that, “at the time of the theft, I never imagined that A2 (Sarah Agyei) was the mastermind.”
Mr Tuffour while explaining further said, “I have been in several interrogations when they were together and I know what I heard.”
At this point, Counsel asked “which interrogation” was he present at.
The Witness then said, “about one or two or three, adding that, “just that we were visiting and we were called in.”
The Witness told the Court, “One occasion after A2 (Sarah Agyei) had been apprehended by the police and they were even going to the premises, and so on, we followed them.”
“We knew what was happening,” he said,” adding that, “We took interest in what was happening.”
The Witness consequently disagreed with Counsel for Sarah Agyei’s suggestion that the 2nd Accused “never involved herself in this theft,” and that, “she had been a faithful house help working for you (Witness).
Allegation
Counsel for the A2 (Sarah Agyei) said his client (Sarah Agyei) was arraigned because of the Witness’s allegations that the stolen money was shared amongst some people
“You see, one time during a search at the house, there was my wife’s jewelry box in the house and my wife said this is my jewelry box and A2 said she found the box in a garbage bin in our house and she liked it and she took it,” the Witness said.
“It was part of the jewelry stolen from our house,” he said, adding that, “We found this in her house.”
It was the case of Counsel for the 2nd Accused that, the said jewelry box was thrown away by “your wife (Cecilia Dapaah) after they had cleaned her room and asked your wife whether she can keep it.”
But the Witness, Daniel Osei Kuffuor, disagreed.
“I can tell you that nobody cleaned that bedroom/storeroom. My wife herself entered that room. Nobody was allowed to clean that room,” he told the Court.
Abandoned Jewelry box
It was the case of Lawyer Gyemfi that, after several searches at A2’s (Sarah Agyei) house, he (Witness) could not find any jewelry of Cecilia Dapaah in the 2nd Accused house.
But, the Witness said, “It was only one visit that we were there that we found this abandoned jewelry box in her house.”
The Witness, however, said “I did not hear that,” when they went with the police the first day to A2’s house, “her own kente cloth that she used for her engagement, your wife (Cecilia Dapaah) claimed it was her kente cloth.
Further Cross-examination continues.
Breakdown of stolen cash
On May 3, Daniel Osei Kuffuor, the husband of former sanitation Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah gave a breakdown of monies stolen from their storeroom by their house to help Patience Botwe and six others.
The 85-year-old Professional Architect with 53 years of experience said the accused persons stole two sets of $210, 000 and $200, 000 from their storeroom.
In addition to the dollars, he said another set of £300,000 belonging to him and GHc300,000 being contributions that Cecilia Dapaah’s siblings made towards the funeral of her late mother were also stolen.
“Subsequently, my wife and I found out that some of our valuables as well as huge sums of money had been stolen from the storeroom.
“This included an amount of 210,000 US Dollars which belonged to my wife’s deceased brother, Nana Akwasi Essan II alias Charles Dapaah,” he said.
Other monies he said were stolen from their storeroom were: “Two Hundred Thousand US Dollars ($200,000 USD) belonging to Dorcas Wiredua, my niece who is also my client.
“Three Hundred Thousand Euros (£300,000) belonging to me,” and “Three Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHc300,000) being contributions that my wife’s siblings and she made towards the funeral of her late mother.
“Fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHc50,000) belonging to my wife,” he stated.
Charges
Patience Botwe, 18, and Sarah Agyei, 30, together with Benjamin Sowah, Malik Dauda, Christiana Achab, Job Pomary, and Yahaya Sumaila have all denied the various charges pressed against them – ranging from Conspiracy to steal, stealing, dishonestly receiving, and money laundering.
Despite being granted bail, they have not been able to meet their respective bail conditions and are still in lawful custody.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Murtala Inusah
