A new judge, in the person of Justice Nana Brew, has taken over the case in which the Special Prosecutor is seeking confirmation to freeze accounts and seize properties belonging to former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
Although the OSP had petitioned the Chief Justice for the removal of Justice Edward Twum from the case, the change is believed not to be in connection with the petition by the Special Prosecutor.
On July 24, 2023, the OSP arrested Madam Cecilia Dapaah on suspicion of corruption and corruption-related offences after she reported an alleged theft in her home.
The OSP then froze the bank accounts of the former minister and filed an application before an Accra High Court seeking to confirm the $590,000 and GH¢2.86 million seized at her home, as well as the freezing of the accounts pending further investigation into the true ownership and source of the monies.
An Accra High Court presided over by Justice Edward Twum, however, dismissed the application, indicating that based on the available facts before it, there was no justifiable basis for the authorised officers of the OSP to exercise the powers of seizure without a court warrant or order.
The OSP subsequently released the funds to Madam Dapaah and also lifted the freeze on the accounts, but later seized the money and again froze the accounts, and subsequently filed another application seeking confirmation of the seizure and freeze.
The Special Prosecutor then filed a new application, stating that its intelligence suggested that Madam Cecilia Dapaah had unexplained large cash sums of money far above her income as a Minister of State stashed up in her residence.
During the pendency of the case, the OSP wrote to the Chief Justice petitioning her to remove Justice Twum from the case and any other case being prosecuted by the Office, alleging bias against the Office.
The petition was however declined by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkorno through a letter written by the Judicial Secretary, Justice Cynthia Pamela Addo.
Justice Nana Brew who is now the judge for the case is as a result of Justice Twum proceeding on a two-month leave as he was one of the 19 judges who sat during the legal vacation period.
In court on Monday, December 11, 2023, Justice Nana Brew adjourned the case to December 22, 2023 due to the court not having a case docket.
