A Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice has assured Ghanaians and pressure groups that the government is committed to passing the Conduct of Public Officers Bill. 

According to Alfred Tuah Yeboah, the Bill be passed before the expiration of this government. 

According to him, for what has been so far and the discussions he has been involved in, the Bill be passed in the national interest. 

In a discussion on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, July 29, Mr Tuah Yeboah urged Ghanaians to be hopeful of its passage. 

“We are still committed to having that (Conduct of Public Officers Bill) passed. It is considered that it has taken a long time for Parliament to pass it, but I can give that the assurance that this government and what has been done and for what I know speaking as the Deputy Attorney-General, this bill definitely be passed.”

Already, OccupyGhana has called on the government to liaise with Parliament to pass the Conduct of Public Officers Bill to help check and regulate the wealth of persons serving in public portfolios.

The pressure group in a statement said the President must summon an emergency cabinet meeting for the sole purpose of finding ways to approve the Bill.

These calls were made on the back of reports of some stolen monies from the Abelemkpe home of former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

The Minister caused the arrest and prosecution of her domestic staff who allegedly stole monies including $1 million dollars, €300,000, several sums of Cedis, and other items from her residence.

OccupyGhana said the passage of the Bill will help check instances such as the one Madam Dapaah finds herself in but “the Government appears inexplicably unwilling or unprepared to approve the Bill and transmit it to Parliament for enactment.”

The group urged “Ghanaians, fellow Civil Society Organisations and the media, to join us in this campaign to ensure that Cabinet approves the Bill and forwards it to Parliament and that Parliament passes the Bill into law, all at the earliest times possible.”

Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame in the coming days is expected to issue advice on the Cecilia Dapaah scandal.

This is because the Ghana Police Service has forwarded the docket of the case to the Attorney General.

“Following a case of stealing reported to the police by Daniel Osei-Kuffour and Cecilia Dapaah, former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, the Police initiated investigations into the case, arrested some suspects, recovered some of the stolen items and arraigned the suspects before court.”

“Police have since forwarded the docket to the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice for review and advice,” Ghana Police Service announced in a statement.

But some Ghanaians have expressed their displeasure about the decision by the A-G.

Dr Justice Srem-Sai said until Cecilia Dapaah does that, she cannot allege inconsistencies in the figures the police have reported. 

The Minister is reported to have called for the arrest and prosecution of her domestic staff who allegedly stole monies including $1 million dollars, €300,000, several cedis and other items from her private residence.

But Cecilia Dapaah in a statement dated Friday, July 21, 2023, said there are “noticeable inconsistencies between what is being discussed in the public domain and the thrust of the original complaint on the matter.”

She said she is taking steps to examine the origins of the inconsistencies and will provide a detailed response in the coming days. 

But Dr Srem-Sai speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, July 29, said the amounts reported by police ought to be believed. 

According to him, the police have conducted a thorough investigation into the matter. 

“On the scale of who is more likely to be right with regards to the amounts involved, I think the police is more likely to be right because the police have spoken to a number and the extent to which they have gone with this investigation, I think every fair-minded person should be able to come to this basis conclusion that it is possible that the police have not information on the tracing of the money and whatever happened more than the complainant herself.”

“In any case, I’ve listened to all the discussions and read all the press releases not for once has the complainant herself come out with how much she thinks she has.

"So if you’re saying what the police are saying is not correct, you need to tell us what or how much was stolen from you. So it is not enough to just say what the police are saying is not correct,” he said. 

Meanwhile, the Minister resigned from her position on Friday, July 22. 

The Office of the Special Prosecutor subsequently placed her under arrest for suspected corruption and corruption-related offences and subsequently conducted a search of her home. 

The OSP has said it will update the public on the completion of its investigation.