By Ashiadey Dotse
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has revealed in its 2025 half-year report, released on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, that investigations into former Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, did not uncover direct evidence of corruption.
The OSP explained that its inquiry, which began in July 2023, followed reports of large sums of money and other valuables linked to Ms Dapaah and her associates. After nearly seven months of investigations in Ghana, alongside a parallel inquiry by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the OSP concluded that no immediate evidence of corruption was found in the seized funds and frozen bank accounts.
However, the OSP noted that the probe uncovered strong indications of suspected money laundering and structuring, which fall outside its direct mandate. In January 2024, the matter was referred to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for further investigation.
EOCO, at the time, returned the case, arguing that money laundering is a collateral offence that must be based on a predicate offence, which it could not establish. But in May 2025, EOCO’s new leadership requested the docket back for review and possible investigation. The OSP has since forwarded a duplicate docket and pledged its full support.
The Special Prosecutor emphasised that not every case investigated leads to prosecution. Some investigations are aimed at plugging loopholes to prevent corruption, while others may proceed to court only if there is strong evidence to meet the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
The OSP further stressed its commitment to protecting the privacy and reputation of individuals under investigation and avoiding unnecessary public stigma.
