Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu, the Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has urged Ghanaians to exercise caution in their commentary on recent allegations leveled against the former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
The accusations relate to stolen funds worth US$1 million, €300,000, and 350,000 Ghana cedis from her home.
While acknowledging that keeping such significant sums of money at home is not appropriate, Dr. Kokofu cautioned against hasty judgments and premature sentencing in the court of public opinion.
According to him, there is a need to allow the proper investigative processes to take place before reaching any conclusions.
"For me, that should not give way to a court of public opinion where people will be roasted and sentenced, judged before the actual investigations have begun," he said.
Speaking on a panel discussion on TV3 over the weekend, he drew attention to the possibility of accumulating such funds legally, particularly through the sale of land in certain expensive areas of the country.
"The practice of keeping money at home is not to be encouraged, I for one, I don't know how I will be able to do that because I can't sleep even though I don’t have [such funds].”
He added “The point is until investigations prove otherwise, we are here in this country and you go to East Legon and other lands are being sold for $150,000 per plot…and even more, so $200,000 per plot, so if somebody has five plots and sells them, $1,000,000 is on hand easily…I am trying to say that, how you can realize money in the scheme of things, legally without necessarily engaging in corruption…”
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.
Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu, Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), asserts that acquiring $1 million is very easy, considering that the cost of land in East Legon is $200,000 per plot.
