Former President John Dramani Mahama has responded to the news of the robbery at the residence of the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Dapaah.
In a tweet posted on Friday, the former president expressed concern about the substantial amount of money, including over US$1 million, €300,000, and millions of Ghana Cedis in cash, being kept at the minister’s home.
Mahama, who is the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), questioned the decision to keep such a significant sum of money at home and suggested that this incident sets a bad precedent under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
“$1m + €300k and millions of GHS in a Ghanaian Minister’s home? Scandalous!!
“Even if genuinely acquired, why keep millions of hard currency at home? Will @NAkufoAddo ever set a good example for public office holders in his administration?” Mahama asked.
See the tweet below:
Background:
A circuit court in Accra is currently hearing a case involving alleged theft of substantial sums of money from the home of Cecilia Abena Dapaah, the sanitation and water resources minister, by her house helps.
The accused individuals, Patience Botwe, 18, and Sarah Agyei, 30, are facing charges of stealing $1 million, €300,000, and millions of Ghana cedis between July and October 2022.
The reported proceedings in court reveal that these substantial sums were stolen from the minister and her husband, Daniel Osei Kuffuor’s home at Abelemkpe in Accra.
The charges against the house helps include one count of conspiracy to commit a crime and five counts of stealing. Alongside the theft of money, it is alleged that Patience and Sarah also stole valuable personal belongings of the minister, such as assorted clothes valued at GH¢95,000, handbags, perfumes, and jewelry worth $95,000. Patience, in particular, was accused of stealing six pieces of Kente cloth valued at GH¢90,000 and six sets of men’s suits valued at $3,000 belonging to the minister’s husband.
The minister and her husband discovered the thefts in June 2023 and reported the case to the police. Prior to involving the police, Patience had been caught attempting to enter the couple’s room with a duplicate key.
In addition to the house helps, three other individuals were implicated in the case, accused of receiving money dishonestly from the accused house helps. These individuals include Benjamin, a plumber, charged for dishonestly receiving GH¢180,000, Kweku, charged for dishonestly receiving GH¢50,000, and Malik, charged for dishonestly receiving GH¢1 million.
All five accused individuals appeared in court on Thursday, July 20, 2023, with their pleas yet to be taken. One of the house helps, Sarah, has been granted bail in the sum of GH¢1 million, with two sureties. The court is scheduled to hear the matter again on August 2, 2023.
