Cecilia Dapaah Used Aliases to Conceal Transactions, Says Special Prosecutor

Court documents filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) have revealed that former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah allegedly used aliases to conceal transactions related to undeclared real estate business.

According to the OSP documents, “criminal intelligence further suggested that the first respondent [Cecilia Dapaah], as a Minister of State, was engaged in an undisclosed and undeclared real estate business in which she obscured and concealed the transactions by employing the use of aliases to avoid detection of the actual ownership of the business and properties, while cleverly receiving the proceeds of the transactions in her bank accounts and investments.”

The OSP’s investigation also pointed to unexplained large sums of cash money found in her residence, which exceeded her income as a Minister of State. The documents allege that part of these funds was allegedly stolen by house-helps through larceny.

The OSP further noted, “There are no financial records and traces of the origin(s) of the money reportedly stolen from the residence of the respondents [Cecilia Dapaah], and the money discovered by the OSP at said residence. Further, there is no evidence of the amounts of money having been derived from any legitimate businesses, profession or vocation, and no evidence of said amounts having been lawfully declared and subjected to any statutory payments.”

This development follows the OSP’s filing of a motion at the High Court seeking confirmation of seizure and freezing orders of the financial assets of Cecilia Dapaah. A hearing is scheduled for October 18, 2023.

It’s worth noting that Cecilia Dapaah’s bank accounts were initially frozen by the OSP on August 9, but the High Court overturned the decision on August 31, ordering the seized funds to be returned to her. Subsequently, the OSP invoked its powers to retake custody of the money.

These allegations and investigations have raised concerns about financial transparency and accountability among government officials and have underscored the role of the Special Prosecutor’s office in addressing corruption and financial misconduct.