Franklin Cudjoe, the Founding President of the policy think tank IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, has taken a sarcastic swipe at the New Patriotic Party (NPP) grassroots.
Hi action follows the recent scandal involving the alleged theft of substantial sums of money from the home of former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
The controversy revolves around the reported theft of US$1 million, €300,000, and 350,000 Ghana cedis in cash from Cecilia Dapaah's residence.
Taking to Twitter to express his views, Franklin Cudjoe appeared to commiserate with the party's foot soldiers while simultaneously mocking the situation.
In his tweet, he questioned the origins of the additional "millions of cedis" reportedly taken and also raised concerns about whether the former minister’s residence is an open bank.
Franklin Cudjoe's tweet read: "Wait the High Court was told by the Minister, that '$1m, €300k, and millions of cedis' was stolen by the house helps. The question is, how much is the 'millions of cedis'? Is the house an open bank? Footsoldiers, due, kafra." The term "footsoldiers" is a reference to the NPP grassroots workers who play a crucial role in the party's ground-level operations.
The Cecilia Dapaah incident has sent shockwaves through Ghana's political landscape, raising questions about the source and purpose of such a large amount of cash in the possession of a government official.
Meanwhile, the former Minister has resigned from her position.
"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 her resignation letter read.
Read the full resignation letter below:
Background:
Two house helps, 18-year-old Patience Botwe and 30-year-old Sarah Agyei, are currently facing charges before an Accra Circuit Court for their alleged involvement in the theft of significant sums of money and personal belongings belonging to Cecilia Abena Dapaah, Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources and her husband, Daniel Osei Kuffour.
According to a report by The Chronicle, the thefts, which amount to millions of Ghana Cedis, reportedly took place at the couple's residence in Abelemkpe, a suburb of Accra, between July and October 2022.
The accused, Patience and Sarah, are facing one count of conspiracy to commit a crime and five counts of stealing, involving amounts of US$1 million, €300,000, and millions of Ghana Cedis.
During the same period, the pair allegedly stole personal effects from Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah, including assorted clothes valued at GH¢95,000, handbags, perfumes, and jewelry valued at US$95,000.
Further accusations point to Patience stealing 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 also charged three additional individuals in connection with the thefts.
Benjamin, a 29-year-old plumber, has been accused of dishonestly receiving GH¢180,000, while Kweku Botwe, a 65-year-old trader, faces charges for dishonestly receiving GH¢50,000. Additionally, Malik Dauda, a 23-year-old unemployed individual, is alleged to have dishonestly received GH¢1 million.
All five accused individuals appeared before an Accra Circuit Court presided over by Judge Susana Ekuful on Thursday, July 20, 2023. However, their pleas have not yet been taken.
The court has adjourned the case to August 2, 2023, while investigations continue.
Franklin Cudjoe, Founding President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IMANI Centre for Policy and
