Has Cecilia Dapaah maintained ownership of US$800K in amended charge sheet?

The case involving theft of huge sums of money from the Abelenkpe residence of former sanitation minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, was called by the Accra Circuit Court on Tuesday, August 8, 2023.

According to an extract of the amneded charge sheet presented in court, count two which relates to stealing has the particulars of offence pointing to the two accused house helps stealing monies belonging to the minister.

"Patience Botwe (Hairdresser), Sarah Adjei (unemployed), sometime in the year 2022 at Abelemkpe in the Greater Accra Region and within the jurisdiction of this court, did dishonestly appropriate cash the sum of Eight Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($800,000 USD) the property of Cecilia Abena Dapaah," the sheet read.

The subject of the US$800,000 became topical two weeks ago when Metro TV's Paul Adom-Otchere alleged that the sum belonged to a deceased brother of the minister.

The minister did not respond to that claim but it was captured in the Attorney-General's advice to the police on the particular docket, with calls for the police to probe the source of the said amount.

Widow of the late Nana Essan II, a sub-chief of the Asantehene has since disclosed asking her lawyer to seek the retrieval of the said amount since it was not mentioned anywhere in the late chief's estate.

See a portion of the charge sheet as shared on social media



The Brief facts of the Prosecution during the August 8 court sitting is as follows;

1. Complainants in this case are Daniel Osei Kufour and his wife Cecilia Abena Dapaah who resides at Abelemkpe, Accra.

2. First accused (A1) Patience Botwe Alia’s Maabena was a house help to the complainants.

3. Second accused (A2) Sarah Agyei is unemploved and a former house help to the complainants.

4. Third accused (A3) Benjamin Sowah is a boyfriend to A1.

5. Fourth accused (A4) Malik Dauda is A1’s former boyfriend.

6. Fifth accused (A5) Christiana Achab is a trader.

7. Sixth accused (A6) Job Pomary is the husband of A5, seventh accused Yahaya Sumaila (A7) is an excavator operator residing at Sagnarigu in the Tamale Metropolis and eighth accused Franklin Sarakpo (A8) who is on the run is the son of A5.

8. Sometime in June 2023, the complainants reported theft of their cash and some personal effects as indicated on the face of the charge sheet.

9. Upon the receipt of the complaint, Police commence investigations into the complaint.

10. Police investigations led to the arrest of A1 and A3 at their hide out in Tamale in the Northern Region.

11. A search conducted in their room revealed cash the sum of $40,000 USD and GH¢72,619.70.

12. Police investigation revealed that, sometime in October 2022, complainant Daniel Osei Kufour returned from town to observe that their bedroom which was locked had been opened and heard an unusual noise therein.

13. He entered the room and found A1 hiding behind Complainants storeroom door with duplicate keys to the complainant’s master’s bedroom.

14. Subsequently, the complainants detected theft of properties indicated on the face of the charge sheet.

15. A1 indicated during interrogation that, she gave Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000) UDS out of the stolen money to A5 to buy a three-bedroom house at Amrahia for her.

16. The following brand-new items which A1 used some of the stolen money to buy were also retrieved from the said house: One double decker refrigerator, one television set, one washing machine, one chest freezer, one gas cooker, one water dispenser and related items.

17. Police investigation also established that A1 and A3 used some of the stolen money to buy Hyundai Elantra with registration number GE 9771-23 at a cost of Eighty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢80,000.00).

18. A1 also gave One Hundred and Eighty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢180,000.00) to A3 who used same to purchase an unregistered Honda Civic car with DV plate number 4903-23 which same have been retrieved.

19. Investigation also disclosed that A1 and A3 used parts of the stolen money to rent a three-bed room apartment in Tamale at a total cost of One Hundred and Five Thousand Six Hundred Cedis (GH¢105,600.00) for a period of two years.

20. Additionally, A1 and A3 used part of the stolen money to rent a storeroom in Tamale at a total cost of One Hundred Twenty Thousand Ghana Cedis (120,000.00).

21. Al also mentioned A2 as her accomplice to the effect that, when they were working in the complainants’ house, she used to keep watch of the main gate for A2 to go into the complainants’ room to steal their money after which they share the spoil.

22. A2 was subsequently arrested from her hideout in Budumburam a suburb of Kasoa for investigation.

23. Investigation further disclosed that A2 used part of the stolen money to build a three bedroom self-contain house at Budumburam.

24. A1 also gave Five Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢5,000.00) out of the stolen money to A4, who admitted the preceding fact during interrogation.

25. A2 also gave One Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢100,000.00) out of the stolen money to A4 through Al who also admitted same.

26. A5, A6 and A8 who were wanted for their involvement in the case were arrested for investigation.

27. Further investigation revealed that A1 gave unspecified amount of money in dollars to her deceased brother “Joe” who also parted some of the stolen money to AS who was living in a wooden structure with her husband within the same locality as A1.

28. A5 who knew that Al had stolen money from the complainants collected a total amount of Two Million Eight Hundred and Thirty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢42,830,000.00) of the stolen money from A1.

29. A5 upon receipt of the said amount, purchased an eleven-unit chamber and hall self-contain house at Budumburam at the cost of Eight Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢800,000.00) for herself.

30. A5 again purchased a three-bedroom house at Aplaku at the cost of Three Hundred Thousand Cedis (GH¢300,000.00) also for A1.

31. A5 and A6 also purchased a four-bedroom house at Kokrobite at the cost of Two Hundred and Eighty Thousand Cedis (GH¢280,000.00) for A5.

32. A5 called A7 from Tamale and purchased a three bedroom self-contain house at Amrahia at the cost of Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Cedis (GH¢850,000.00) in the name of A7.

33. Investigation further disclosed that, AS purchased two Honda Acura vehicles with registration numbers GB1407-2022 and GB 1406-22 at the cost of Three Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH&300,000.00) each which are registered in the name of A8 and A1 respectively from the proceeds. Case under investigation.