Cecilia Dapaah Breaks Silence in Court

Former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, has testified before the Accra High Court, revealing that her stolen jewelry, valued at $95,000, took her over 35 years to acquire as well as significant portion of the money allegedly stolen from her residence had been entrusted to her for safekeeping.

For the first time since the trial began, Mrs. Dapaah took the witness stand on Tuesday, March 11^th 2025, detailing the vast sums allegedly stolen from her residence. She claimed that the accused individuals took $210,000 belonging to her deceased brother, Nana Akwasi Essan II, also known as Charles Dapaah.

She explained that the $210,000 was part of an $800,000 sum entrusted to her for safekeeping by her elder brother, Henry Osei Kwabena, following instructions from their mother after Nana Essan II’s passing.

Additionally, she alleged that $200,000 belonging to Dorcas Wiredua, a client and relative of her husband, was stolen from her storeroom. Other missing funds included £300,000 belonging to her husband, GH¢300,000 meant for her late mother’s final funeral rites, and GH¢50,000 of her personal money.

During her testimony before Justice Marie-Louise Simmons, the former minister, who is the third prosecution witness, requested that her witness statement be accepted as evidence.

The case, which has drawn national attention, involves seven accused individuals, including her former house helps.

They face multiple charges, including conspiracy, stealing, dishonestly receiving, and money laundering. They have all pleaded not guilty and have been granted bail.

The accused individuals are Patience Botwe, Sarah Agyei, Benjamin Sowah, Malik Dauda, Christiana Achab, Job Pomary, and YahayaSumaila.

Context

On July 24, 2023, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) confirmed the arrest of Cecilia Dapaah over suspected corruption and related offenses. In a statement, the OSP disclosed that she was taken into custody just two days after resigning from her ministerial position.

Her arrest followed mounting public pressure and reports demanding an investigation into the significant sums of money stolen from her residence.

The OSP further stated that the former minister was being interrogated regarding the sources of the large amounts of money found in her home.

Madam Cecilia Dapaah’s resignation on July 22, 2023, came as a shock to many, especially following revelations that her house helps were allegedly behind the theft.

The incident has sparked widespread discussions, with many questioning why such large sums of foreign and local currency were kept at her residence.