The Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah says she is not under political pressure to investigate and prosecute cases.
This comes weeks after the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) referred a suspected case of money laundering involving the former Water and Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah to EOCO for further investigation and prosecution.
Earlier, the OSP had announced its decision to drop all charges against the former minister due to a lack of credible evidence.
But addressing an anti-corruption forum, Madam Tiwah Addo Danquah said her office will only act when there is evidence of wrongdoing.
“Sometimes when I hear people say I am handling a case and I have powers from above directing me, fortunately for me I have not had that because you are guided by the law.
“Nobody will direct you when you have evidence. It is when you don’t have evidence, when you haven’t been able to put evidence together then someone can tell you not to do this.
“But if you have done your work in such a way that you have evidence, very solid evidence, you just have to explain to the person that these are my evidence, these are A, B and C and they are solid and I am presenting it to the court.
“Nobody can stop you but we hide behind powers from above and we are put back and we disappoint the citizens but they have given you the mandate to do the job,” she explained.
On Thursday, January 25, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng dropped the application to confirm the seizure and the freezing of the monies and bank accounts of Madam Cecilia Dapaah.
The Office had filed a repeat application for confirmation of the seizure of $590,000 and GH₵2.73 million found in her home and the freezing of her seven bank accounts after an earlier one was dismissed by the court for not complying with the rules.
The OSP had also charged Madam Dapaah for failing to declare her assets and the case was before the same court.
But the OSP, after a meeting with the judge and defence lawyers in chambers on January 25, 2024, decided to drop the two cases against the former Minister.
Although it is not clear what informed the decision, sources indicated that the OSP had also been given 72 hours by the court, within which to unfreeze the accounts and return the seized funds to Madam Dapaah and her husband, Daniel Osei Kuffuor.
Background
The OSP arrested Madam Dapaah on July 24, 2023, on suspicion of corruption and corruption-related offences after she and her husband, Daniel Osei Kuffuor reported huge sums of money stolen from their home by their two housemaids.
The two maids, Patience Botwe and Sara Agyei as well as five other accomplices are currently standing trial before an Accra Circuit Court for stealing $1 million and several millions of Ghana Cedis from the home of the former Minister.
She resigned from her position as a Minister of state on July 22, 2023, after several calls by the general public for her to step down.
The OSP had subsequently filed a repeat application for confirmation of the seizure of $590,000 and GH₵2.73 million found in her home and the freezing of her seven bank accounts after an earlier one was dismissed by an Accra High Court for not complying with the rules.
Source: myjoyonline.com
