Investigation Must Be Carried Out To Ascertain Source And Legitimacy- Ato Forson

NDC Parliamentary Vetting: Hefty Police Attendance To Vetting Of Asawase Parliamentary Aspirants The Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has informed that the origins and authenticity of the $1 million, other various sums of money, and valuables purportedly stolen from the home of the Minister of Sanitation, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, should be duly investigated. This information was provided by the Minority Leader.

On Friday, the two housekeepers who worked for Madam Dapaah and her husband, Daniel Osei Kuffour, were taken before a circuit court in Accra on charges of allegedly stealing money and items from their residence that were worth millions of Ghana Cedis.

On his Facebook page, the Minority Leader noted that "given the magnitude and gravity of the situation," the Sanitation Minister must retire in order for comprehensive investigations to be started to ascertain the origin and validity of the allegedly stolen money. The Minority Leader's statement was made after the Minority Leader stated that the resignation of the Sanitation Minister was required in order for extensive investigations to be undertaken.

"We are unable to turn a blind eye to such a grave occurrence because it has the potential to undermine the basic ideals of probity, accountability, and transparency in our system of governance. In light of the scope and seriousness of this matter, it is very necessary for there to be a prompt inquiry that is conducted in a neutral manner in order to determine the origin of these money and whether or not they are legitimate.

"I am writing to strongly encourage the responsible Minister to voluntarily step down from her duties until the appropriate state authorities have performed a comprehensive and independent inquiry into this problem. The citizens of Ghana deserve nothing less than a government that looks out for their best interests with integrity and commitment.

Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson
A Kleptocratic Regime
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, who served as a deputy minister in the past, has commented on the accusations that significant sums of money had vanished from the residence of Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

The administration of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was described by him as a "kleptocratic regime."

The government has not yet provided an official reaction in response to the report that the Minister's residence was broken into by two former home helpers who made off with a million dollars, 300,000 euros, an undisclosed quantity of Ghanaian cedis, and other valuables. The government has not yet provided an official response.

However, former President John Dramani Mahama emphasised how mysterious it was that a Minister would store millions of cedis and other foreign monies in her home. Specifically, he referred to this as a "mystery."

Joyce Bawah Mogtari said in a tweet that Sanitation Minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah's behaviour was unbecoming of someone who holds public office since it was shameful and inappropriate for someone in her position.

She asserted that President Akufo-Addo and his appointees are amassing the scarce public resources in order to benefit themselves. In light of this, she questioned the President's moral authority to fire her, suggesting that he did not have the right to do so.

"There was such a great deal of riches hidden under their beds, millions of dollars and Cedis. A mishmash of currencies, and sure, the people of Ghana are still having trouble making ends meet. A multitude of debt swaps, difficulties, and shaved heads!

A specialist in banking named Dr. Richard Atuahene shared his thoughts on the topic as well. He asserted that Ghana's Foreign Exchange Act does not prohibit people from keeping a certain amount of cash outside of the banking system, despite the fact that he was a part of the discussion.

He made it clear that the law does not prohibit this kind of behaviour in an overt manner. "At the present time, in accordance with the Foreign Exchange Act 206 Act 713, there is no specific area that says that somebody can't hold that quantity of money," he stated.

However, from the point of view of a banker, he expressed concern on the effects that having such a big volume of cash outside of the banking system could have on the cedi and the economy. The financial analyst stated that the keeping of such a large volume of money outside of the banking system has an effect on the total computation of the available money in the economy.

"It makes it difficult for whatever the Bank of Ghana is calculating because a portion of the money is included in the calculation, which you cannot capture when you are calculating the inflation and whatever else there is to calculate,"

Dr. Richard Atuahene
He went on to say that not only does it have a huge impact on the economy, but it also affects the value of the money that is used locally.