Five individuals have petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah for allegedly acquiring assets disproportionate to her income.
The petitioners, Mensah Thompson, Al-Hassan Kwadwo Baidoo, Bernard Anbataayela Mornah, Ransford Antwi, and Joyce Atitso, are urging a comprehensive investigation into Dapaah’s financial activities.
The controversy began with a theft report at Dapaah’s home, leading to her resignation in July 2023. The stolen items included significant sums of money—$1 million, €300,000, and GH¢350,000—as well as luxury handbags valued at $35,000 and jewelry worth $95,000. These disclosures sparked public outrage amid Ghana’s economic struggles and the devaluation of the cedi.
Following her resignation, Dapaah was arrested by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), which discovered over GH¢48 million in her accounts. The investigation, which involved the FBI, lasted nearly seven months before the OSP dropped the charges due to insufficient evidence and transferred the case to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO). EOCO subsequently returned the docket to the OSP, citing a lack of evidence.
In their May 20 petition, the petitioners called on CHRAJ to examine Ms. Dapaah’s assets, which include $1,390,000; €300,000; GH₵3,212,007; and bank accounts in both cedis and dollars. They stressed, “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.”
