Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has asked the Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah to resign from her post following how the case involving former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources Cecilia Abena Dapaah has been handled.
Kpebu raised concerns about the conduct of the EOCO while speaking on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 on Wednesday, May 1.
“So far, this letter shows that EOCO and possibly, the Police have been sleeping on the job. I can’t believe COP Maame Tiwaa Addo Danquah sat down for the money to be returned to Cecilia Dpaaah without her taking over. The EOCO At also provides for freezing…EOCO boss COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa must resign,” he stressed.
His comments come after the Office of the Attorney General advised EOCO not to initiate any move to investigate money laundering into the dealings of Cecilia Dapaah.
Upon a request for advice by EOCO on the matter, the Attorney General’s office in a letter dated April 25, 2024 and copied to EOCO, said it found that the OSP did not submit the report on its collaborative investigation to EOCO.
Additionally, the office noted the OSP has not responded to EOCO’s request for its findings.
According to the Attorney General’s office, the docket presented to EOCO only contains the OSP’s letter transmitting the docket, the diary of action, statements taken during the investigation, and letters written by the OSP to other institutions like the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and banks for inquiries.
Further analysis of the docket by the Attorney General’s office revealed that the OSP did not find any evidence of corruption or corruption-related offenses against Cecilia Dapaah.
The Attorney General’s office emphasised that the key pursuing money laundering investigations is the capacity to prove that financial gains were obtained from criminal proceeds arising from unlawful activity.
“In the absence of the identification of any criminality associated with the properties retrieved from the suspects, the OSP’s referral to EOCO for investigations to be conducted into money laundering is without basis.”
Further analysis of the docket by the Attorney General’s office revealed that the OSP did not find any evidence of corruption or corruption-related offenses against Cecilia Dapaah.
The Attorney General’s office emphasised that the key pursuing money laundering investigations is the capacity to prove that financial gains were obtained from criminal proceeds arising from unlawful activity.
“In the absence of the identification of any criminality associated with the properties retrieved from the suspects, the OSP’s referral to EOCO for investigations to be conducted into money laundering is without basis.”
The Attorney General also advised against EOCO investigating the source of Cecilia Dapaah’s funds on the basis that the CID had been tasked to take charge of that aspect of the case.
“Even though as part of your mandate you could commence investigations into the source(s) of the money found in the home of the suspects, we do not find this necessary since this Office before the reference by the OSP, had instructed the Police Service who are already seised with other aspects of the case to investigate the sources of the huge sums of money found in the homes of the suspects, a fact the OSP is aware of. We find from the OSP’s docket, marked as B1″, a copy of the Attorney-General’s letter to the Director-General of the CID dated 31st July 2023.”
“In light of the above, the OSP docket on the subject matter is returned herewith.”
The Special Prosecutor’s Office had made the request to EOCO after determining that the case involving over 1 million dollars found in the former minister’s house, among other issues, did not fall under its mandate although it suspected possible money laundering.
