The Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak, has stated that the house helps, of the former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, who allegedly stole funds worth US$1 million, €300,000, and 350,000 Ghana cedis from her private residence have done the nation some good.
According to Dr. Clement Apaak, the funds in question belonged to the state, and if the house helps had not taken the alleged funds, the issue might never have come to light.
In a series of tweets, Dr. Clement Apaak posited that their actions inadvertently exposed the alleged loot which could have otherwise remained concealed.
"If the house helps didn't help themselves to the Big Stash in Cecilia Dapaah's room and get caught, we wouldn't have ever known about the loot, and she would still be in office. Something good can come via something bad oooh! In a strange way, the house helps have done Ghana good!" one of his tweets read.
Meanwhile, the former minister, in her letter of resignation letter addressed to the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, explained that she decided to resign because the issues surrounding the monies could affect the government negatively.
However, she noted that the subject of theft in her home as captured by many reports has been grossly exaggerated.
"Since yesterday, Friday, July 21, 2023, social and traditional media have been full of stories about a court case involving a theft that took place last year in the home I live with my husband and daughter.
"The stories sought to suggest that I own various huge sums of foreign currencies and millions of Ghana cedis which have been stolen from my home. Whereas I can state emphatically that those figures do not represent correctly what my husband and I reported to the Police, I am very much aware of the import of such stories around someone in my position.
"I am resigning therefore because I do not want this matter to become a preoccupation of government and a hindrance to the work of government at such a crucial time," parts of the letter read.
Read the full resignation letter 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.
If the househelps didn't help themselves to the Big Stash in Cecilia Dapaah's room and get caught we wouldn't have ever known about the loot, and she would still be in office. Something good can come via something bad oooh! In a strange way the househelps have done Ghana good!
What funeral donations? what inheritance? 1M dollars, 300k euros and millions of cedis? Show us the proof. The monies must have been BIG OOH, so big the Minister and her husband didn't even notice some was stolen till the husband caught the househelp in the act. Ebi our money!
What funeral donations? what inheritance? 1M dollars, 300k euros and millions of cedis? Show us the proof. The monies must have been BIG OOH, so big the Minister and her husband didn't even notice some was stolen till the husband caught the househelp in the act. Ebi our money!
The Mother Serpent of Corruption didn't have the courage to fire her. She resigned herself. But hey, this matter will not go away. We demand action from the OSP immediately! pic.twitter.com/R6qWa3uaGl
Dr Clement Apaak, MP for Builsa South
