OSP abusing court processes in 2nd cash seizure attempt-Cecilia Dapaah insists, wants action expedited

The Former Minister for Sanitation, Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah has insisted that the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s attempt at a second confirmation of her cash seizure is an abuse of the court’s processes.

She indicates that the OSP has failed to satisfy the statutory conditions precedent for applying for such a remedy having held onto her seized money in excess of the statutorily stated sixty (60)days.

In her affidavit in opposition to the OSP’s second application for freezing confirmation, Madam Dapaah describes the application as grounded on false allegations and in total disregard of the OSP’s Act and the court’s earlier ruling on the matter.

She thus wants the court to dismiss the application and prefer punitive costs against the OSP.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor filed on September 11 a second motion seeking confirmation of a freezing order directed towards some amount of money retrieved from Madam Cecilia Dapaah and those in her bank account which the office believes are tainted.

This follows an August 31 ruling by the High Court presided over by Justice Edward Twum dismissing the OSP’s first attempt at the same end in the matter and ordering the latter to return the frozen cash to her within 7 days.

Subsequently, the OSP announced that it had complied with the order of the court but immediately seized Cecilia Dapaah’s properties to aid their investigation insisting that those properties were tainted.

In its application, the OSP contended among others that the substantial sums of substantial sums of US$590,000 and  GHC2.730,000 discovered by Officers following a search at the residential properties of the suspect are tainted because they are not linked to any lawful sources.

The Office also alleged that Madam Dapaah has registered a company called ‘Dermacare Cosmetics’ and also had an undisclosed and undeclared real estate business in that she used an undisclosed identity to sell the property to others.

Additionally, the OSP avers per its findings that Madam Cecilia Dapaah’s dead brother’s account was still sending her money adding that as recently as September 19, 2022,  and May 23, an amount of ¢10,450 and ¢11,280 respectively were transferred, supposedly by the deceased brother to the first respondent (Cecilia Dapaah).

In her response, Madam Cecilia Dapaah however denies the assertion that her husband is covering up for her relative to the ownership and the sources of money that were reportedly stolen from their premises.

Further, she describes as false, the OSP’s assertion that she registered a cosmetic and an undisclosed real estate company that she has concealed and using to transact businesses.

Madam Dapaah contends also that the OSP has demonstrated no basis to suspect the money found at her home and bank account were from corrupt sources or tainted and thus wants the court to dismiss same accordingly.

The OSP’s second motion for confirmation was initially expected to be moved on October 18 but the lawyer for Madam Cecelia Dapaah is said to have filed a motion for an abridgment of time which will see the case being heard on October 11, 2023.