Cecilia Dapaah saga: It’s very unfortunate, sad; EOCO could’ve done better — GII

Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) is disappointed and concerned over the poor handling of the case involving former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), suggesting that the agency could have conducted a more robust investigation.

Mary Awelana Addah, the Executive Director of GII, expressed her views following the revelation that the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice advised EOCO against pursuing money laundering investigations against Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

During an interview on the JoyNews AM show on May 2, 2024, Mrs. Addah suggested that “while EOCO may have sought legal advice from the Attorney General’s Office, it could have continued its investigation independently until it reached a point where legal advice for prosecution was necessary.”

She further stressed the importance of thorough and independent investigations into allegations of corruption involving public officials, lamenting that the current situation could create an impression that individuals could evade accountability due to weaknesses in the legal regime.

She stated, “But then it is what it is; it is very unfortunate; let me not mince words at all. The impression this is creating is that we can always get away with anything, particularly when it comes to issues around allegations of corruption because we would use the weakness in the regime or legal regime to get away with them.

“And this goes to confirm what the President said because he was speaking from the point of authority; perhaps our laws were not robust.”

Mrs Addah also highlighted the potential utility of lifestyle audits in probing allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement, suggesting that EOCO could have explored this avenue for gathering valuable evidence.

"It is sad, but it is what it is from our current legislation and our current work. Unfortunately, we believe EOCO could have taken this up from another angle when you look at their laws.

“When you look at Section 1(3) of the current anti-money laundering law, you would see that they could have a lifestyle,” she remarked.