OSP Takes Back Cecilia Dapaah’s Properties After Complying with Court Order
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has for the second time seized and frozen the accounts, investments and money of former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah after it complied with Thursday’s court order.
The High Court presided over by Justice Edward Twum refused to grant the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) an order to continue freezing the assets of the former Minister because according to him, the application was filed out of time; the OSP could not ascertain the owner of the assets; and application was based on public sentiments.
The OSP in a statement on Tuesday said it complied with the order to unfreeze the bank accounts and investments and returned some cash belonging to Abena Dapaah as ordered by the Accra High Court on August 31.
“The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has complied with the ruling and order of the High Court, Accra dated 31 August 2023 by unfreezing the frozen bank accounts and investments of Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
“The OSP has also returned the seized cash sums of Ms Dapaah in the presence and assent of Ms Dapaah and her lawyers. The satisfaction by the OSP of the order of the High Court terminates the proceedings of the seizure of the cash amounts from Ms Dapaah commenced on 24 July 2023 and the freezing of her bank accounts and investments effected from 26 July 2023,” a part of the statement said.
It however, pointed out that the Office has invoked the statutory power of the Special Prosecutor under section 32(1)(a) of Act 959 to re-seize the returned properties from her due to suspicion that they are tainted.
“Subsequent to the indicated ruling and order of the High Court and the compliance by the OSP with said ruling and order, the Special Prosecutor considers that he has reasonable grounds to suspect that the cash amounts seized from and returned to Ms Dapaah is tainted property and it is necessary to exercise the power of seizure to prevent the concealment or loss of said cash amounts.
“Therefore, the Special Prosecutor has again invoked his statutory power under section 32(1)(a) of Act 959 by directing the seizure from Ms Dapaah of the cash amounts previously seized from her. Authorized officers of the OSP have seized said cash amounts from Ms. Dapaah.”
