The Ghana Police Service has reported the arrest of three additional individuals in connection with the ongoing theft case involving former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah.
This development follows an amendment to the previous charge sheet based on advice from the Attorney General.
The revised list of accused persons now includes Patience Botwe, an 18-year-old hairdresser; Sarah Agyei, a 30-year-old unemployed individual; Benjamin Sowah, a 29-year-old plumber; Malik Dauda, a 34-year-old unemployed person; Christiana Achab, a trader; Job Pomary, a mechanic; and Yahaya Sumaila, an excavator operator.
These individuals collectively face 14 charges, which consist of conspiracy, five counts of stealing, and eight counts of dishonestly receiving. The charges relate to their alleged involvement in the theft case.
Among the new suspects, Christiana Achab and Job Pomary are accused of receiving an amount of Three Hundred Thousand Ghana cedis (GH¢300,000.00) from Patience Botwe, who was the house help of Cecilia Dapaah, in 2023. Christiana Achab is further implicated in receiving additional amounts, while Yahaya Sumaila is accused of receiving Eight Hundred thousand Ghana cedis together with Christiana in 2023.
It has been revealed that Christiana Achab utilized a substantial portion of the stolen funds to acquire properties, including houses and vehicles. The police have also disclosed that the Attorney General’s office will take over the case docket after further investigations are concluded.
In light of these developments, the Special Prosecutor has requested the accused individuals to be remanded for extended investigations. The Circuit Court in Accra has subsequently remanded five out of the seven accused persons. Two lactating mothers have been granted bail with specified conditions.
This case originated from a report filed by the complainants after the missing cash and personal effects were discovered. The accused individuals, including house, helps, were subsequently arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court. The investigation into the matter continues, with heightened public interest and calls for accountability.
The appointment of a new Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Freda Prempeh, was also announced in light of Cecilia Dapaah’s resignation from office amid the ongoing investigation.
