Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has informed that the origins and authenticity of the $1 million, other various sums of money and valuables purportedly stolen from the home of the Minister of Sanitation, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, should be duly investigated.
The two housekeepers of Madam Dapaah and her husband, Daniel Osei Kuffour, were brought before an Accra Circuit Court on Friday for allegedly stealing money and things worth millions of Ghana Cedis from their home.
On his Facebook page, the Minority Leader stated that “given the magnitude and gravity of the situation,” the Sanitation Minister must resign in order for extensive investigations to be launched to determine the origin and authenticity of the allegedly stolen money.
“We cannot overlook such a serious development that has the potential to undermine the very principles of probity, accountability, and transparency in our governance. Given the magnitude and gravity of this situation, it is essential that an immediate and impartial investigation be carried out to ascertain the source and legitimacy of these funds.
“I strongly urge the concerned Minister to voluntarily step aside from her duties until the relevant state institutions have conducted a thorough and independent investigation into this matter. The people of Ghana deserve nothing less than a government that serves their interests with honesty and dedication.”
Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson
A Kleptocratic Regime
A former deputy minister, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has remarked on the reports of enormous quantities of money missing from Cecilia Abena Dapaah’s home.
The Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration was categorized by him as a “kleptocratic regime.”
The report that the Minister had been burgled by two former home helpers who made off with a million dollars, 300,000 euros, an undisclosed sum of Ghanaian cedis, and other valuables has not yet received an official response from the government.
However, former President John Dramani Mahama emphasized how of a mystery it was that a Minister would store millions of cedis and other foreign monies in her home.
In a tweet, Joyce Bawah Mogtari stated that the behavior of Sanitation Minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah, was disgraceful and improper for someone holding public office.
She claimed that President Akufo-Addo and his picks are accumulating the limited public resources. In light of this, she questioned whether the President possessed the moral right to dismiss her.
“So much wealth under their beds, millions of dollars and Cedis. A potpourri of currencies, and yes Ghanaians are still suffering. Debt exchanges, hardships and haircuts galore! Pray tell us what is @NAkufoAddo going to do please!!”
Joyce Bawah Mogtari
Dr. Richard Atuahene, a banking specialist, also offered his thoughts on the matter and claimed that Ghana’s Foreign Exchange Act does not forbid persons from retaining any particular sum of cash outside of the banking system.
He clarified that such a conduct is not expressly forbidden by the law. “Currently, under the Foreign Exchange Act 206 Act 713, there is no specific area that says that somebody cannot hold that quantum of money,” he said.
However, from his perspective as a banker, he voiced concern about having such a large sum of cash outside of the banking system and its effects on the cedi and economy. The banking consultant claimed that keeping such a sum outside of the banking system has an impact on the entire computation of the money supply.
“It makes it difficult for whatever the Bank of Ghana is calculating because part of the money is part of the calculation and you cannot capture when you are calculating the inflation and what have you.”
Dr. Richard Atuahene
He added that it has a significant impact on the economy and that it also influences the value of the local currency.
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