The Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice has advised against initiating money laundering investigations into the dealings of former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah, according to a letter dated April 25, 2024.
The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) had sought advice from the Attorney General’s office on the matter.
In its response, the office noted that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) did not submit its report on the collaborative investigation to EOCO, and has not responded to EOCO’s request for its findings.
The docket presented to EOCO only contained the OSP’s letter, diary of action, statements taken during the investigation, and letters written to other institutions for inquiries. The Attorney General’s office found no evidence of corruption or corruption-related offenses against Dapaah.
The office emphasized that proving financial gains from criminal proceeds is key to pursuing money laundering investigations.
In this case, the OSP’s referral to EOCO for investigations was deemed without basis due to the lack of identified criminality associated with the properties retrieved from suspects.
Additionally, the Attorney General advised against EOCO investigating the source of Dapaah’s funds, as the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) had already been tasked with this aspect of the case.
The OSP had requested EOCO’s assistance after determining that the case, involving over $1 million found in the former minister’s house, did not fall under its mandate, although it suspected possible money laundering.
The case has been the subject of a collaborative investigation with agencies like the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The outcome of this case of national interest remains unclear. The OSP has returned money and properties retrieved from suspects, and the suspects have been discharged.
