EOCO could have done proper investigations into Cecilia Dapaah’s case – GII

Mary Awelana Addah, the Executive Director of Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), has stated that the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) could have conducted a more comprehensive investigation into the case of former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah.

This advice came after the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice recommended against pursuing a money laundering investigation into the matter.

The Attorney General’s office, in a letter dated April 25, 2024, stated that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) neither submitted its collaborative investigation report with the FBI to EOCO nor responded to EOCO’s request for findings on Madam Dapaah’s case.

However, the GII director suggests that EOCO could have done more to investigate the matter.

She noted that EOCO should have pursued the investigation to its logical conclusion before consulting the Attorney General’s Office, emphasizing the importance of a thorough and independent investigation into allegations of wrongdoing by public officials.

"It is unfortunate, and I will not mince words. The impression this creates is that we can always get away with anything, particularly when it comes to issues around allegations of corruption because we would use the weaknesses in the legal regime to escape accountability," she said.

"This confirms what the President said, as he was speaking from a position of authority; perhaps our laws are not robust enough."

Addah suggested that EOCO could have conducted a thorough investigation into Cecilia Dapaah’s case by scrutinizing her lifestyle, which could have provided valuable information and evidence.

"It is sad, but that is the reality given our current legislation and work. Unfortunately, we believe EOCO could have approached this from another angle, considering their laws," she stated.

"Section 1(3) of the current anti-money laundering law indicates that they could have conducted a lifestyle audit," she pointed out.