The former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah has denied claims by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) that she owns and operates an undeclared real estate business.

In a press release, the former Minister’s Personal Assistant (PA) Kofi Mensah Asare stated that the claims are false and unfounded and could create public dissatisfaction for the family.

He called on the OSP to desist from engaging in a "trial by public opinion" which he believes can create a prejudice in the court.

“Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah has never owned a real estate business. She bought a Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) apartment at Kpone affordable housing scheme for her late mother and later decided to sell it off. How that translates to her owning a real estate business beats human imagination,” Mr Mensah stated.

This comes after the OSP alleged that Cecilia Abena Dapaah “was engaged in undisclosed and undeclared real estate business in which she obscured and concealed the transactions by employing the use of aliases to avoid detection of the actual ownership of the business and properties, while cleverly receiving proceeds of the transactions in her bank account and investments.”

https://www.myjoyonline.com/cecilia-dapaah-has-undeclared-real-estate-business-and-she-concealed-transactions-using-aliases-osp-alleges/

Not long ago, the OSP seized millions of cash from the former Minister and ordered the freezing of some bank accounts with over ¢40 million transactions.

An Accra High Court refused to confirm the seizures and freezing order and directed the OSP to return the money seized to Cecilia Dapaah.

The Special Prosecutor complied but is back in court seeking to get the seizure confirmed.

Meanwhile, there are other arguments levelled against Madam Cecilia Dappah including allegations that an account belonging to the dead brother of the former Minister was still sending money to Cecilia Dapaah’s accounts.

But her personal assistant has denied all these allegations by providing reasons why the claims by the Special Prosecutor are false.

On the issue of the bank account of Cecilia Dapaah's dead brother, Mr Mensah explained that the bank was present to receive the donations of her late brother during the funeral and right after the funeral the donations were used to open an account. 

He stated that Madam Cecilia Dapaah and her elder sister, Madam Alice Dapaah, were signatories to the account.

"Does that warrant a headline that her late brother is signing cheques and sending her money?" he quizzed.

Mr Mensah Asare also stated that claims that Madam Dapaah had money hidden in obscure places in her house with some concealed in wraps and clothes, is a figment of the OSP's imagination. 

"Has the OSP forgotten that the husband of Madam Cecilia Dapaah constantly receives cash from people whose building projects he supervises?

"The public is advised to treat the publications and allegations with the contempt they deserve, The OSP is advised to desist from its fiendish delight in trial by the press," he stressed.