Cecila Dapaah’s case: 3 more dragged to court; father of first accused discharged

Three more persons have been arraigned in addition to four others who were initially charged with counts of stealing and dishonestly receiving monies stolen from the home of former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah while one other person who is of interest to the investigations is said to be on the run.

This brings to eight the number of people standing trial currently. 

The court however discharged Kwaku Botwe, father of the first accused person, Patience Botwe who was initially charged with the offence of dishonestly receiving. 

These were made known to the court after police prosecutors substituted the charge sheet based on the advice of the Attorney General.

The police prosecutor revealed that charges against the father of Patience Botwe were dropped following the advice of the Attorney General, Godfred Dame. 

Kwaku Botwe was previously charged with dishonestly receiving after he was accused of receiving GH¢50,000 out of the stolen money from his daughter.

Mr. Botwe however in his caution statement noted that he only received GH¢10,000 from his daughter and was not aware that it was stolen money. 

Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame after analysing the case against Mr. Botwe concluded that there is not enough evidence to sustain a charge of dishonest receiving. Based on this, his name was excluded from the new charge sheet and was therefore discharged by the court. 

The police prosecutor further revealed that based on the advice of the Attorney General to broaden the scope of investigation, three more persons have been arrested while one person is at large.

The three new arrests are Christiana Achab, Job Pomary, Yahaya Sumail. The person at large is one Franklin Sarakpo.

According to the facts of the case against the three new arrests and the one at large, the first accused (Patience Botwe) gave unspecified amounts of dollars to her brother identified as Joe, who parted some of the stolen money to Christiana Achab who was living in a wooden structure in the same neighborhood as the first accused person. 

Christiana Achab is said to have received over GH¢2 million of the stolen money, purchased an eleven-unit chamber and hall self-contain house at Budumburam at the cost of GH¢800,000 for herself. She is also alleged to have purchased a three-bedroom at Aplaku at the cost of GH¢300,000 for A1 (Patience Botwe). 

Christiana Achab and Job Pomary are also alleged to have purchased a four-bedroom house at Kokrobite at the cost of GH¢280,000 for Christiana Achab. 

Christiana Achab is further accused of contacting A7, Yahaya Sumaila, and purchased a three-bedroom self-contain house at Amrahia at the cost of GH¢850,0000 in the name of Yahaya Sumaila.

Christiana Achab the fifth accused person, is said to have also purchased two Honda Acura vehicles at the cost of GH¢300,000 each registered in the name of A8, Franklin Sarakpo, who is stated to be at large and A1, Patience Botwe. 

Prosecution prayed the court to further remand the accused persons as investigations were still ongoing.

But the defence team opposed this on grounds that the continuous detention of their clients will be against their rights as the prosecution has not even proved that the accused when granted bail will interfere with investigations. 

Lawyers of A2 (Sarah Agyei) and A5 (Christiana Achab) urged the court to grant their clients bail as they are lactating mothers. The judge granted bail to the two lactating mothers and remanded the rest. 

The bail conditions for the two lactating mothers are set to the tune of GH¢1 million each, with three sureties each to be justified. The three sureties according to the court are expected to deposit their passports and Ghana cards with the court registry and not to leave the jurisdiction of the court. 

The case has been adjourned to August 22.