The legal tussle between the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and Ms Cecilia Abena Dapaah, former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, at the Accra High Court has come to a standstill.
This is because the judge hearing the case filed against Ms Dapaah, Justice Edward Twum, has taken his leave.
Justice Twum is one of the judges who sat during the legal vacation and was supposed to resume his leave once the legal vacation ended in October.
The Special Prosecutor (SP), Kissi Agyebeng, investigated and subsequently froze the bank accounts of the former minister over monies found in her house.
It is not clear whether the Chief Justice (CJ), Justice Gertrude Araba Torkonoo, would assign the docket to another judge in the absence of Justice Twum.
On October 25, the last court sitting, a motion on notice for stay of proceedings was to be heard, but it was adjourned because an outcome of a petition sent to the Chief Justice to remove Justice Twum from all OSP cases had not been determined.
The petition was subsequently determined moments after the case was adjourned with the CJ dismissing the request to have the judge removed.
The case has been adjourned to November 29.
In July 2023, the Chronicle Newspaper reported that two domestic helps of the former minister had been dragged to court for allegedly stealing $1 million, 300,000 euros, several millions of cedis and personal effects of the former minister and her husband valued at thousands of Ghana cedis and dollars.
The two, 18-year-old Ms Botwe, and 30-year-old Sarah Agyei, allegedly stole the money and personal effects of the couple, between July and October 2022.
Ms Botwe and Agyeihave been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit a crime and five counts of stealing US$1 million, €300,000, and millions of Ghana cedis.
Ms Dapaahresigned from her position after a public uproar.
The OSP commenced investigation in July 2023 in respect of suspected corruption and corruption-related offences regarding large amounts of money and other valuable items involving Ms Dapaah. She was arrested by the OSP and granted bail.
When OSP officials searched the home of Ms Dapaah, they found $590,000 and GH¢2.730,000 in cash at her apartment.
The OSP seized these substantial cash sums as crucial evidence to support the ongoing investigation and also froze seven bank accounts, belonging to the former minister.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
