Irene Kensah, the widow of the late brother of former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, has announced that she has instructed her legal representatives to begin the process of reclaiming her late husband’s portion of the $1 million, as well as other sums reported to have been stolen from the former Minister’s residence.

According to Irene Kensah, she learned about the purported amount of money through Paul Adom-Otchere, the host of “Good Evening Ghana” on Metro TV. She explained that she was on her way to see her lawyer about a letter of administration, when the problem was brought to her attention. Her lawyer then informed her of the need to lawfully retrieve the money.

“I have no prior knowledge of this money. I learned about it just like everyone else did. While discussing matters with my lawyer, this topic came up. Therefore, as per legal requirements, we are now taking steps to recover the money.”
Irene Kensah

Cecilia Abena Dapaah made headlines lately when it was revealed that her household staff members were facing prosecution for stealing varied amounts of money, including one million dollars, from her home. The amount in question, aroused enormous public outrage, prompting the Minister to quit from her official position.

During a show broadcast, Paul Adom-Otchere claimed to have a full breakdown of the ownership structure of the disputed monies. Adom-Otchere testified that $800,000 of the one million dollars belonged to Nana Akwasi Essan II, Cecilia Dapaah’s deceased brother. He clarified that the $800,000 was the subject of a police report and was identified in the charge sheet as belonging to Cecilia Dapaah’s late brother.

However, Irene Kensah, the deceased’s widow, stated that she was unaware of any money related with her late husband. Despite this, she stated her intention to recover the money through legal means. Her lawyer, William Kumi, confirmed her statement, stating that they had begun the legal procedures to secure the assets as part of Irene Kensah’s entitlement to her husband’s estate.

GRA Petitioned

Former President of the Chartered Institute of Taxation Ghana and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ghana, Mike Kofi Afflu, has petitioned the Commissioner General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to order a thorough investigation into the sources of the funds discovered at Mrs. Cecilia Dapaah’s residence, including any potential undeclared earned income or assets.

Mr Afflu also wanted an audit of her tax compliance history, while she was a public worker to guarantee compliance with tax rules and regulations.

Among the expectations are regular updates and transparency throughout the inquiry process to retain public trust in the Ghana Revenue Authority’s integrity, capacity, and skills.

On Wednesday, August 2, two additional individuals were arrested in the ongoing investigation into the stolen monies from the residence of former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah. The arrest of the two, raises the total number of suspects to seven. Sarah Agyei, the second accused, was granted bail last week but has yet to meet the bail requirements. The remaining six people, including the two recent arrests, have been detained in police custody.