Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah, a former UN senior governance advisor, has expressed concerns about how issues surrounding the theft case involving substantial sums of money at the home of the former sanitation minister can be detrimental to the Akufo-Addo-led administration.
Cecilia Dapaah resigned over the weekend following reports that millions of cedis had been stolen by two of her house helps at her Abelemkpe residence.
The two principal accused; 18-year-old Patience Botwe and 30-year-old Sarah Agyei, are charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and five counts of stealing. The alleged thefts occurred between July and October 2022.
During this period, the house helps allegedly stole personal effects belonging to Dapaah, including assorted clothes valued at GHC 95,000 and handbags, perfumes, and jewelry worth $95,000.
Botwe is also accused of stealing six sets of kente cloth worth GHC 90,000 and six sets of men’s suits valued at $3,000, which belong to the minister’s husband.
Furthermore, three other individuals, identified as Botwe’s current and former boyfriends and her father, are also facing charges for allegedly being involved in the crime. They are respectively charged with dishonestly receiving GHC 1 million, GHC 180,000, and GHC 50,000.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show, Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah highlighted the potential damage to President Akufo-Addo's government, particularly amidst public disenchantment with the economy's management.
“This incident is very damaging for the president and his government when you place in the larger context of the popular public disenchantment with the way the economy is being managed,” Agyeman-Duah told Asaasenews.com.
Agyeman-Duah criticized the President's acceptance letter, stating that it was a missed opportunity to address public concerns and distance himself from such behavior.
He also urged a thorough investigation into the matter before reaching any conclusions about Cecilia Dapaah's involvement.
“And this adds salt to an already bad situation. I think that is why when I read the president’s acceptance letter, I was a little bit taken aback because this was a fine opportunity for the president to dramatise his own concern and disgust about behaviour such as this.
“We are not concluding that Cecilia Dapaah has done wrong at this time until it is investigated. But as a president who is constantly bombarded about his inertia in addressing such issues, this would have been a wonderful opportunity to distance himself and not to conclude in his acceptance letter that she will be exonerated, he shouldn’t have made that statement,” he added.
YNA/WA
Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah, former UN senior governance advisor