Story: News Desk
Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng has filed a motion for confirmation of seizure and freezing orders for the “tainted properties” of embattled former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
The hearing will be on October 18.
On August 31, the Financial and Economic Division of an Accra High Court ordered the Office of the Special Prosecutor to return all monies seized from the embattled former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah.
The Court ordered that its ruling be complied with within seven days.
The Court also said it could not confirm the freezing of her bank accounts and other properties.
Cecilia Abena Dapaah opposed the application by the OSP to freeze her accounts and seize her property.
It followed the OSP’s filing of a motion for confirmation of the order of freezing and seizure of the former Minister’s tainted property.
The OSP said to facilitate investigations, it considered it necessary for the issuance of a “freezing order against the bank account and investment of the former Minister at Prudential Bank Limited and Societe General Ghana in accordance with Section 38 (1) of Act 959 and regulation 19 (I) of LI 2374”.
Subsequently, the OSP conducted searches in three residential properties associated with the former Minister at Cantonment, Abelemkpe and Tesano all in Accra.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor has disagreed with the high court’s refusal to grant the application for the seizure and freezing orders of Cecilia Dapaah’s assets.
The high court had refused to grant the application on the grounds that the confirmation of seizure application was filed out of time; and that the OSP did not provide any basis for the seizure and the freezing since it did not disclose the details of the transactions in the accounts; and further that the freezing order was based on public sentiments and without proper investigations.
The Financial and Economic Division of the Accra High Court has thus ordered the Office of the Special Prosecutor to return all monies seized from the embattled former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah.
The Court orders that this ruling be complied with within seven days. The Court also said it cannot confirm the freezing of her bank accounts and other properties.
According to a statement issued by the OSP, the court’s conclusion is erroneous and that the office, while respecting the decision, disagrees with same.