Private legal practitioner, Samson Lardy Ayenini, says the institution investigating the conduct of the former Water Resources and Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, searched her residences a bit too late.

According to him, the search should have been carried out much earlier.

“I would have imagined that the search would have actually been conducted minutes after the investigative authorities became aware of the court documentation containing the 10 charges and the brief fact accompanying the charges suggesting that this was money that was being stolen over a long period and the couple was unaware until one day the husband chanced upon one and subsequently discovered that the monies were being taken away,” he said.

According to him, “if you do not do that then there would be concealment in a manner that would be difficult to trace.”

Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story, Mr Lardy Anyenini explained that the reason he suggested the search to be done earlier is that the cedi had depreciated at the time, adding that he believes the stolen $1 million would have had an impact on the economy.

https://myjoyonline.com/osp-invades-cecilia-dapaahs-home-over-stolen-monies/

His comment comes after officials of the Office of the Special Prosecutor invaded the homes of Madam Dapaah.

The action is in relation to the US$1 million, €300,000 and millions of Ghana cedis allegedly stolen from her home between July and October 2022 by her house helps. 

She was earlier in the day picked for questioning over suspected corruption and placed under arrest for several hours.

https://myjoyonline.com/osp-arrests-questions-resigned-environment-minister-cecilia-dapaah-over-stolen-huge-cash/

Although the stealing is reported to have taken place at her Abelemkpe residence in Accra, the search was extended to one of her homes in Ablekuma.

The private legal practitioner said the OSP has the authority to conduct such searches.

“The law itself provides that the Special Prosecutor actually has powers to conduct searches in emergencies and it says that where they suspect on reasonable grounds that a particular property is a tainted property or it will provide evidence as to the committing of an offence or that it is necessary to exercise the power of search and seizure in order to prevent the concealment, loss or destruction of property or the circumstances are so urgent that the immediate exercise of the power without the order of a warrant or court warrant and if the property is found, then the property can be seized,” he explained.