Cecilia Dapaah: Martin Kpebu opposes AG's advice to EOCO on money laundering probe

Martin Kpebu, a private legal practitioner, has strongly opposed the Attorney General's counsel to cease the money laundering investigation into former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah.

Kpebu argues that the Attorney General's advice lacks legal foundation, describing it as "misguided and unsupported by law."

He contests the notion put forth by the Attorney General that a predicate offense is necessary

Read full articlefor prosecuting Dapaah for money laundering, asserting that this interpretation is erroneous.

The Attorney General's directive to the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) came after the Special Prosecutor's office recommended money laundering inquiries following the discovery of over $1 million at Dapaah's residence, deemed beyond its jurisdiction.

Speaking on Citi TV's The Big Issue, Kpebu emphasized that Dapaah's inability to account for her wealth warrants further investigation, urging the Attorney General to retract the directive to EOCO.

"The letter is a huge mistake, a faux pas, that was a wrong step because the letter is not grounded in law. The AG is insisting that you need a predicate offence before you can prosecute someone for money laundering, but that is not correct, it’s false, we have changed the law. There’s a new law, for us in Ghana, that says no need for predicate offence," he said.

"Cecilia Dapaah cannot explain her source of money, if you take her to court, she’s guilty. The Attorney General’s letter is so bad that it has to be withdrawn. The AG has to be humble, we all don’t know it all, if the AG has gotten it wrong, he should just accept his mistake. He cannot win every case," he added.

While the Attorney General's review revealed no evidence of corruption against Dapaah by the Special Prosecutor's office, the focus remains on whether profits from illicit activities are involved in the money laundering allegations.