The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has issued a rebuttal to what it describes as “misleading” and “mischievous” media reports surrounding the outcome of investigations into Ms. Cecilia Abena Dapaah, the former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources.

In a statement released on Monday, August 19, the OSP expressed concern over claims by several media outlets that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had either “found no evidence of corruption” or had “cleared” Ms. Dapaah following a joint probe. Some reports cited the OSP’s own half-yearly report as the basis for these claims.

However, the OSP refuted these interpretations, describing them as a distortion of the findings laid out in its official report, particularly section 2.26 on page 9.

https://osp.gov.gh/media/Resources/OSP_Half_Yearly_Report_July_2025_Online.pdf

The office clarified that the sentence, "no direct and immediate evidence of corruption was identified during the investigations," is a legally nuanced finding that differs materially from the sweeping claims that there was “no evidence” at all or that Ms. Dapaah had been “cleared.”

The investigations in question involved both the OSP and the FBI, with the latter’s involvement being initiated at the request of the OSP. Despite the limited findings, the OSP stressed that its probe uncovered “strong indications of suspected money laundering and structuring” — matters that fall squarely within the jurisdiction of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).

According to the OSP, the case was initially referred to EOCO under its previous leadership. However, EOCO allegedly failed to act on the matter and returned the case docket to the OSP.

The new leadership at EOCO has since requested and received the docket to proceed with the relevant investigations.

The OSP used the opportunity to call on media organisations to exercise greater care and precision in their reporting, particularly on issues of significant national concern.

“The OSP urged all media outlets to report with precision and fidelity to the text of official documents to ensure accurate, fair, and responsible public communication,” the statement concluded.

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