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Office of the Special Prosecutor Disagrees with Court Decision on Freezing Accounts

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has expressed its disagreement with a decision by the Financial Division of the Accra High Court, which rejected its application to freeze the bank accounts of former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

In a press release issued on Thursday, August 31, the OSP clarified its position and outlined three key reasons for its disagreement with the court’s decision.

First, the OSP argued that the court’s calculation of the time limitation was erroneous. It pointed out that its operatives had searched three private residences of Madam Abena Dapaah over a two-week period, indicating that the time limitation had not expired.

Second, the OSP maintained that the freezing order had been based on reasonable suspicion, as Ms. Dapaah had provided inconsistent information about the source of the stolen amounts reported from her residence, the amounts discovered by the OSP in her residence, and the volume of transactions in her bank accounts and investments.

Third, the OSP clarified that the freezing order was not influenced by public sentiments but was a result of court processes filed in a criminal matter involving Ms. Dapaah as the complainant.

The OSP emphasized that the freezing order was intended to aid investigations as required by law, and it rejected the notion that it had not carried out proper investigations.

This disagreement comes after the High Court rejected the OSP’s application and ordered the return of all seized assets of the former minister of state within seven days.

The Court found the OSP’s actions to be based on speculation and poor investigations, concluding that there was no justifiable basis for the seizure of the property and freezing of bank accounts.