According to a private attorney named Martin Kpebu, Cecilia Dapaah should publicly explain to Ghanaians how she came into possession of the enormous quantity of money since it is seen to be the spoils of corruption.
But according to Mr. Kpebu, if Madam Dapaah chooses not to reveal the owner or source, she cannot be accused of corruption, and the court is also unable to prove that.
On Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Kpebu stated that the onus is on the prosecutors to do a thorough job in order to be able to demonstrate those facts even if Madam Dapaah chooses not to cooperate.
According to him, if a regular individual had been engaged in the case, that person may have divulged the money’s origins if under pressure.
“But with Cecilia Dapaah’s status as former Minister, she cannot be forced to say anything she doesn’t want to because the law doesn’t bind an accused person to provide evidence in a case, but on the prosecutor,” he said.
Even if she might not be accused with corruption if things go that way, the attorney general can still file a confiscation case in court, the attorney stated.
“The money involved is a lot, and her 50-year salary may not even amount to that, so if she is not able to produce the source, the state will have to confiscate it, and the law allows that,” he added.
As part of investigations into suspicions of corruption, the troubled public official’s accounts and investments, which contained large sums of dollars and cedis, have been blocked.
The OSP is seeking a “confirmation of the seizure by the Office of the Special Prosecutor of the property of the Respondent upon the grounds contained in the accompanying affidavit and for any further order(s) as the court may deem fit.”
As a result, the Accra High Court has scheduled a hearing for Thursday, August 17, to decide whether or not to affirm the freezing of Cecilia Dapaah’s bank accounts, a former minister of sanitation.