Story: Yaw Takyi

Police prosecutors, on Wednesday, August 2, 2023  failed to present the accused persons in the case of the alleged theft of over one million dollars belonging to the former sanitation minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

The prosecutors indicated that the police officers who were supposed to present the two accused had traveled and could not produce them in court.

Moreover, they indicated that the Attorney General has now fully taken over the case and will assume the prosecution of the case.

One of the lawyers for the accused persons, Augustine Gyamfi, believes it would have been rather respectful for officials from the A-G to be present in court to announce its decision to take over the matter.

But that did not happen, a situation that he believed raised cause for concern.

“I heard it on air. The prosecutor informed the court that AG is preparing to take up the matter. In my personal opinion, I feel if the AG is desirous and respects the judicial processes they should have come to court today to tell the court that we want to take up the matter, however, certain things are not in place and therefore we need one or two weeks to be able to take up the matter.”

“You don’t sit in your office and instruct a police prosecutor to tell the court that you want to [take it up]. No. Some of these things we see it as some of the gimmicks to deny people of the justice that they need,” he told the press.

He expressed frustration describing the development as attempts to hinder their efforts to meet the bail conditions.

Meanwhile, two more suspects have been arrested in the ongoing investigations.

The development was disclosed in court on Wednesday, August 2, by police prosecutor DSP Emmanuel Nyamekye during the case proceedings.

Initially, five individuals, including two househelps of the former Minister, were apprehended for their alleged involvement in stealing One million dollars, 300,000 euros, and valuable personal effects amounting to thousands of Ghana Cedis.

However, the accused persons were not present as the prosecutor explained that investigators were in Tamale, conducting further inquiries related to the case.

With the arrest of the two additional suspects, the number of accused persons in the case has now risen to seven.

Among them, Sarah Agyei, the second accused, was granted bail last week, but she has not yet fulfilled the bail conditions.

The other six, including the newly arrested individuals, they have been remanded into police custody.

The case has been adjourned to August 8 to allow for the ongoing investigations and to address the bail situation of the second accused, Sarah Agyei.