The Acting Executive Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) has described the amount of money allegedly stolen from the Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah’s residence, as a big blow in the fight against corruption.

In an interview on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, Mary Awelana Addah said that the incident has disastrous implications and must therefore be taken seriously.

“This is a big blow in the fight against corruption for us,” she said.

https://myjoyonline.com/how-househelps-blew-millions-stolen-from-cecilia-dapaahs-home/

Her comments are in relation to the court case in which two house helps and others are standing trial for allegedly stealing $1 million, €300,000 and millions of cedis from the Sanitation Minister’s Ablekuma residence.

The Acting Director of GII described the keeping of such bulk money at home as unfortunate and shocking and questioned the source of the money, coming at a time the country is encountering an economic downturn and on a path to revival.

https://myjoyonline.com/our-laws-dont-restrict-people-from-keeping-bulk-cash-banking-consultant/

She chastised the government official for keeping such an amount at home instead of the banks when the government she is part of is a proponent of digitalisation. According to her, the minister ought have set a good example for the public.

“For me, to think that one human being would keep such money in the house, then where is this drive towards digitalisation that we are talking about?” she asked.

She, therefore, called on President Akufo-Addo to act swiftly on the matter, adding that he should use the case to clear the perception held about him as the ‘clearing agent’ of corruption.

She urged President Akufo-Addo to sack the Sanitation Minister immediately or get her interdicted.

“It is not enough to say that you are providing agencies which are fighting corruption with resources but then the political will to act on instances such as these are not serious. It is not enough for the president to continue to tell us that state institutions are acting while behind the scene, strings are being pulled to frustrate processes.

"We believe that for the president to redeem his image and also take off that mantra that has been applied to him for some time now that he is a clearing agent, we believe this is the time for him to act and act swiftly and ask this minister to step aside and let the agencies of state take this thing up,” she said.