A million dollars and 300,000 euros dominated the news headlines since last Friday (July 21), when it emerged that monies in local and foreign denominations had been missing from the home of then sanitation minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
The initial report on the matter, carried by the Chronicle Newspaper, added that millions of Ghana cedis had also been stolen by the two maids of the minister.
GhanaWeb found through court papers filed in the Circuit Court that the amount of Ghana cedis lost in cash was not in the millions.
This was contained in count four of the charge sheet brought against the two maids and three others who are said to have benefitted variously from the stolen monies.
COUNT FOUR
STATEMENT OF OFFENCE
STEALING: CONTRARY TO SECTION 124 (1) OF THE CRIMINAL OFFENCES ACT OF 1960, ACT 29
PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE
PATIENCE BOTWE: (Age: 18 Yrs, Hairdresser): 2. SARAH AGYEI Age:30 Years, Unemployed: Between the period of July and October 2022 at Abelemkpe in the Greater Accra Region and within the jurisdiction of this court, did dishonestly appropriate cash the sum of Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢ 350,000,000) the property of Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
Even though the charge sheet in words reads "Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis" it reads 350 million cedis in figures, the latter per our checks is a typing error.
The minister has also spoken about inconsistencies in the figures being reported adding that they were different from what herself and her husband had reported to the authorities.
Below is a breakdown of the monetary and material losses as officially captured
Monies
Done reading the charge sheet and analyzing.
All monies stolen belong to the minister, none for the husband.
a. US$1million
b. €300,000
c. GH¢350,000
Material losses
a. GH¢95,000 worth of clothes
b. US$35,000 handbags
c. US$1,400 assorted perfumes
d. US$95k assorted jewelries
e. GH¢95,000 worth of assorted Kente
Read the full charge sheet below:
Background
According to an official charge sheet from an Accra Circuit Court, the brazen thefts occurred at the couple's residence in Abelemkpe, a suburb of Accra, over a three-month period from July to October 2022.
The accused, identified as Patience and Sarah, are facing serious charges, including conspiracy to commit a crime and multiple counts of stealing involving staggering amounts of money.
Not only were monetary assets stolen, but the accused also allegedly made off with personal belongings of Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah, such as valuable clothes, handbags, perfumes, and jewelry. The stolen items amounted to a shocking value of GH¢95,000 and US$95,000.
Further accusations involved Patience acting alone in the theft of cultural treasures, including six pieces of Kente cloth worth GH¢90,000 and six sets of men's suits valued at US$3,000, which belonged to the minister's husband.
The court has also charged three additional individuals in connection with the thefts, revealing the complexity of the case.
The accused allegedly used the stolen funds to finance various properties and purchases, including renting a 3-bedroom apartment and a store in Tamale, buying vehicles, and funding other personal expenses.
The court has adjourned the case to August 2, 2023, while investigations continue.
SARA
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Cecilia Abena Dapaah, former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources