By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
Former PNC Chairman, Mr. Bernard Anbataayela Mornah alongside four other well meaning Ghanaians, have petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate former Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, Madam Cecilia Dapaah for allegedly acquiring assets disproportionate to her income.
The petitioners, Mr. Mensah Thompson, Mr. Al-Hassan Kwadwo Baidoo, Mr. Bernard Anbataayela Mornah, Mr Ransford Antwi, and Madam Joyce Atitso,have called for a thorough investigation into Madam Dapaah’s finances.
The petitioners in their request on May 20, 2024 urged CHRAJ to scrutinize Madam Dapaah’s assets, which include $1,390,000; €300,000, GH₵3,212,007; and bank accounts in both Cedis and dollars.
“…More importantly, we are fortified in the need for this investigation because during interrogation by the OSP as to the source of her income, Madam Cecilia Dapaah could not give any proper explanation,” the petitioners argued.
The controversy and misery surrounding the embattled former Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, began with a theft report at her home, leading to her resignation in July 2023.
The stolen items she reported included substantial amounts of money—$1 million, €300,000, and GH¢350,000—as well as luxury handbags valued at $35,000 and $95,000 worth of jewellery. The disclosure of these amounts sparked public outrage amidst Ghana’s economic challenges.
Following her resignation, Madam Dapaah was arrested by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), which discovered over GH¢48 million in her accounts.
The investigation, which drew in the FBI, lasted nearly seven months before the OSP dropped all charges against her due to what it described as insufficient evidence and therefore, transferred the case to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
EOCO, in dramatic turn, returned the docket to the OSP, citing a lack of evidence. It is based on this latest twist of events that the five individuals have hauled Madam Dapaah before CHRAJ to be investigated.
Find petition documents below:
