Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu says public commentary surrounding the alleged stolen money from the house of the former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, was useful as it compelled the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to move to do its work.
“These commentaries we run also help. Because if we do that, it also shows the public anger will be an incentive for the OSP to do his work excellently, because he knows that people are angry and are talking about the scandal. So there is no chance to make mistakes, there is no chance to go slow. So these commentaries are very useful,” he stated.
Mr. Kpebu said this in an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News on Citi FM in Accra on Monday.
“By all means, the investigations will lead to something, so we should be very excited because these are very exciting times. Exciting because President Akufo-Addo thought that we are kids. The way he kept mentioning that he hasn’t seen corruption, he will fight it with the Anas principle, and he hasn’t fought anything, and through God’s own means, we are uncovering them one by one,” he added.
Highlighting his confidence in the OSP unraveling something from its investigations into the matter, Mr. Kpebu emphasized that for each day that Ms. Dapaah did not respond to the alleged issue, the more she fueled the suspicions.
“So the commentary has to continue alongside, because we have not passed judgment, but within public opinion, we are allowed to make reasonable inferences,” he added.
Meanwhile, officials from the OSP on Monday, July 24, 2023, searched the home of the former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources.
Ms. Dapaah was earlier on Monday picked for questioning over suspected corruption.
The OSP in a statement disclosed that “At 11:55 GMT on 24 July 2023, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, who resigned from the position of Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources on 22 July 2023, was placed under arrest by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) in respect of suspected corruption and corruption-related offences regarding large amounts of money and other valuable items reportedly stolen from her residence.”
The former minister is currently the talk of the town after it turned out that she caused the arrest of her house helps who are alleged to have stolen $1 million, €300,000, and millions of Ghanaian cedis from her at Abelenkpe, Accra, during the period between July and October 2022.
The incident sent shockwaves through the nation, leaving citizens astounded by the audacious theft with many questioning the source of the money.
Cecilia Dapaah resigned from the portfolio over the weekend after the news, which was first reported by The Chronicle Newspaper, went viral.
In accepting her resignation, President Akufo-Addo said the former minister was loyal and hoped her integrity would be established.
