Private Legal Practitioner Martin Kpebu has chastised the head of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for not being proactive in investigating the money laundering allegation involving former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah.
According to him, the way Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah handled the alleged money laundering case demonstrated that she had no intention of delving into the root of the matter.
His comments follow a press statement issued on Tuesday, May 7 by EOCO, in which the commission dismissed claims by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) that it did not request findings conducted with the FBI regarding an alleged money laundering case involving the former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah.
According to EOCO, upon receiving the referral from the OSP on January 25, 2024, it promptly requested a copy of the OSP’s findings on February 1, 2024, to aid its investigations.
EOCO also indicated that its letter dated February 1, 2024, was received at the Front Desk of the OSP by a Field Desk Officer 11, Solomon Tetteh, who duly signed for the letter on February 2, 2024.
“The Deputy Executive-Director of EOCO, Bashiru Dapilah, followed up with the OSP and discussed with Mr. Emmanuel Basintale, the Director of Investigations of the OSP, the possibility of expediting the release of the report.
“This discussion was done in the presence of the Deputy Special Prosecutor Ms Cynthia Lamptey. Mr. Basintale assured that as soon as he received clearance from the SP, the report would be released to EOCO to assist in investigations. To date, EOCO has not received any information from the OSP,” part of the statement said.
But speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on May 7, he said there was no iota of truth in the statement since Maame Tiwaa, if she really wanted to investigate the matter, would have done so.
He argued that if it is within EOCO’s mandate to investigate such matters, then the excuses in the statement were a cover up.
“There are things she is asking for, it’s neither here nor there. If she knew she did not have the know –how, could she have asked, could she have asked that Martin Kpebu you are on radio talking, come here, what can you do, you think, what can you do about this file for me? What can you show me?
“I would have said go for the money quickly. The same powers that Kissi Agyebeng has that enabled him to go into Madam Dapaah’s house to search and take for a period before you go to court for confirmation.
“EOCO has had their Act since 2010. So they have it and they know how to do it. I am telling you that Tiwaa really has to leave this office because we have warned her and I told you,” he said.
Speaking on the same show, Asante Akim North MP Andy Appiah Kubi said considering how events unfolded, he cannot help but agree with the legal practitioner on his stance.
He argued that from the onset, the tussle between the Office of the Special Prosecutor and The Attorney General regarding the modus operandi of the case, he cannot help but assume there is an attempt to cover some evidence.
“It is very sad for two anti-corruption agencies do what they are doing in public. It is very sad and for me reading between the lines, I see an attempt to cover some part of the evidence. These are institutions of professionals. I expect them to do better than they are doing.
“For once, I seem to side with Martin on the suspicions that he is trying to raise. You see, we have integrity crisis here because two state institutions supposed to be doing investigation in the public space coming at themselves in the public arena and openly disagreeing with each other …and not bringing us any dividend out of this investigation is really sad,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline
