Council of State Member, Sam Okudzeto, made remarks justifying Cecilia Dapaah’s actions of having money stored in her house. He went ahead to call Ghanaians hypocrites.
In his words: “If you come and you find money with me, do I owe you any duty to explain to you whose money it is when nobody has complained that I have stolen their money? You Ghanaians are not honest people. The number of people, all these huge buildings that they are building, who has asked them where they got the money from? Nobody does. So you just pick on one individual and you want to make it seem as if she was just an extraordinary rogue who has stolen money when you don’t even have any evidence that she has stolen money,” he added.
This comes after the OSP withdrew the case against Cecilia and further cautioned EOCO not to take further investigation into the matter.
These developments didn’t sit well with some discerning observers and lawyers, subsequently leading the former, and the flagbearers of the NDC, John Mahama, to promise Ghanaians who deem the issue inappropriate to open investigations when voted into power.
Private Legal Practitioner Martin Kpebu has urged the Attorney General to retract its letter to the Economic and Organised Crime Office, which recommended halting the money laundering investigations into former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah’s affairs.
The Attorney General’s office advised against these investigations on May 1, following its determination that the Special Prosecutor’s request for such investigations lacked basis.
The Special Prosecutor’s office had requested these investigations after discovering over 1 million dollars in Madam Dapaah’s residence, a case which it determined fell outside its jurisdiction but raised money laundering concerns.
John Dramani Mahama has stated that his government will reopen investigations into the alleged money laundering case against the former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah.
The former President wrote on X on Thursday, “My government will reopen investigations into alleged acts of corruption and graft in the Cecilia Dapaah case.”
The comment of the NDC 2024 presidential candidate comes following the Attorney-General’s advice for the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to discontinue its investigation into the alleged money laundering case against the former Minister.
The Constitution of Ghana does not specifically address the issue of keeping huge amounts of money at home. However, it is essential to note that constitutions primarily focus on establishing the fundamental principles, structure, and functioning of the government and may not cover every aspect of individual behavior.
Instead of the constitution, laws and regulations enacted by the Ghanaian government, as well as financial and banking institutions, would govern issues related to money, including regulations on the storage and handling of large sums of money.
In many countries, including Ghana, there are laws and regulations related to money laundering, tax evasion, and financial reporting that may be relevant to the storage and handling of significant amounts of money. Keeping large sums of money at home could attract attention from authorities and may not be recommended due to security concerns and potential legal implications.
There are a few important points to consider:
Money laundering laws: Most countries, including Ghana, have laws to prevent money laundering. If the source of the money is suspicious or it is suspected to be proceeds from illegal activities, keeping a significant amount of money at home could be considered a violation of money laundering laws.
Tax laws: Not declaring large sums of money or income earned could be a violation of tax laws. In Ghana, individuals and businesses are required to report their income and pay appropriate taxes.
Security concerns: Keeping substantial amounts of cash at home can pose significant security risks, such as theft or loss due to accidents like fire or flooding.
