Richard Ahiagbah, the Communications Director of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), has voiced his criticism of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) for its handling of the suspected corruption case involving former Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, Cecilia Dapaah.
Ahiagbah expressed his belief that the OSP seems to be more focused on garnering media attention rather than diligently investigating the case to gather the necessary evidence for pressing charges. Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile on Saturday, September 2, the NPP's Communications Director called out the Special Prosecutor and advised him to concentrate on his responsibilities rather than needlessly tarnishing people's reputations.
“I think the Special Prosecutor has been very untidy with this whole case and getting its lungs filled with the oxygen of public interest in the matter and it’s affecting how it should approach this matter. “
“He should take less interest in the media and focus on his job,” he stated
On the same program, Mahama Ayariga, the NDC MP for Bawku Central, also criticized the OSP for what he perceived as negligence in handling the case. Ayariga argued that the OSP had not fully complied with its Act by failing to apply to the court for the confirmation of the seizure and freezing of Cecilia Dapaah's accounts within the required seven-day period.
“The law says apply for confirmation of the seizure within seven days and I am saying that the Special Prosecutor did not do that. He didn’t do that.”
“He has been negligent and he is trying to throw dust into our eyes by issuing this long convoluted statement. The courts are there for everybody so let’s not blame the court,” the opposition MP said.
Previously, the Financial and Economic Division of an Accra High Court had ordered the OSP to return all seized funds from Cecilia Dapaah and stated that it could not confirm the freezing of her bank accounts and other properties. In response, the OSP issued a statement expressing respect for the court's decision but disagreement with it, citing what it considered an erroneous computation of the time limitation and emphasizing that its investigation was ongoing.
The OSP is investigating Cecilia Dapaah for corruption and corruption-related offenses after it was revealed that she had kept more than $1 million in her residence.
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NPP Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagbah
