A special prosecutor has detained a Ghanaian minister who resigned over the weekend after her houseworkers allegedly stole more than $1.3 million in cash from her residence.
Former Sanitation politician, Cecilia Abena Dapaah has denied any wrongdoing, but the matter sparked condemnation from Ghana’s opposition, who questioned why a politician would keep such significant sums of money in her home.
According to special prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, Dapaah was arrested on Monday “in relation to suspected corruption and corruption-related offences involving large sums of money.” The Special Prosecutor’s Office in Ghana handles corruption investigations involving public officials, judges, or top political party members.
The arrest came as President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government deals with the country’s worst economic crisis in years which has pushed Ghana to seek a $3 billion loan from the IMF.
In her statement on Saturday, Dapaah handed in her resignation, saying she did not want to be a hindrance to government, but rejected reports of such large amounts of cash at the family home.
“I am resigning therefore because I do not want this matter to become a preoccupation of government and a hindrance to the work of government,” Dapaah said.
According to court documents, the two domestic workers face charges of stealing $1 million, 300,000 euros and millions of local Ghanaian cedis, as well as clothing from a bedroom last year.
Akufo-Addo on Sunday accepted the resignation and applauded the former minister for her loyalty and “devotion”, his spokesman said.
But former Ghana leader John Dramani Mahama, who is the opposition NDC candidate for the 2024 election, described the incident as “scandalous”.
“Will Akufo-Addo ever set a good example for public office holders in his administration?”
A good governance advocate Baffour, Agyeman-Duah, has called on the ombudsman to probe the case.
BBC
