Cecilia Dapaah's Case: 4 More Houses Discovered In Latest Investigation, 7 Slapped With Fresh Charges

Investigators from the police force have found what are believed to be four additional homes that were purchased with money taken from the household of Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah, a former minister responsible for sanitation and water resources, located in Abelemkpe.

Also found were two brand-new Honda Acura automobiles, which are estimated to have a combined value of more than 600,000 Ghana Cedis.

The most recent information adds to the already existing reports of houses and properties having been discovered in Tamale, including at Amrahian and elsewhere.

In the most recent modified charged sheet, which was submitted on August 8, 2023, to replace the one that was originally submitted in July, preferred charges were assigned to seven of the defendants.

Patience Botwe, 18, a hairdresser; Sarah Agyei, 30, jobless; Benjamin Sowah, 29, plumber; Malik Dauda,34, unemployed; Christiana Achab, a trader; Job Pomary, a mechanic; and Yahaya Sumaila, an excavator operator; all have been charged with 14 charges.

The most recent charges included one allegation of conspiring to steal, five counts of theft, and eight counts of dishonestly receiving.

According to reports, they made off with one million dollars in cash, 300,000 euros, and other valuables, including Kente and other items.

Both Sarah Agyei and Christiana Achab, who are claimed to be nursing moms, were each granted one million cedis bail, which must be justified by three sureties.

In addition to this, the sureties are required to leave their Ghana IDs with the registrar of the court and refrain from travelling outside of the court's jurisdiction.

Patience Botwe, Benjamin Sowah, Malik Dauda, Job Pomary, and Yahaya Sumaila, along with the rest of the suspects, have been remanded into legal custody.

This came about after the prosecution, which was led by DSP Emmanuel Nyamekye, pleaded for the accused persons to be remanded so that additional investigations could be carried out.

However, the attorneys for the defence maintained that their respective clients are innocent until and until it is proven differently.

The Prosecution also made it clear to the Judge that the Office of the Attorney General will be in charge of the case docket once all investigations have been completed.

A baby who was believed to be six months old was introduced to the court as one of the newborns who were being cared for by a carer. The attorneys for the accused individuals who are said to be nursing mothers are required to supply the court with evidence to support their assertions.

Franklin Sarakpo, the eighth suspect, has not been located at this time.

According to the EIB Network's Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, the father of Patience Botwe, Kweku Botwe, who was one of the five people who were earlier arraigned, was discharged after receiving advice from the Attorney General's Office on the case docket.

The matter will be continued on August 22, 2023, in front of the Honourable Afia Owusuaa Appiah, who is presiding over the court.

The prosecution will rest its case with the following brief facts:

Daniel Osei Kufour and Cecilia Abena Dapaah, who both live in Abelemkpe, Accra, are the people who are bringing this legal action.
Patience, who was the first to accuse, Maabena, who worked for Botwe Alia, was employed by the complainants as a house help.
Sarah Agyei, the second accused (A2), is currently unemployed and formerly worked for the complainants as a home help.
Benjamin Sowah, the third accused (A3), is the man who is dating A1.
Former lover of the first accused (A1), Malik Dauda is the fourth accused (A4).
Christiana Achab is the fifth accused (A5) and is a trader.
Job Pomary, the sixth accused (AG), is the spouse of 45, Yahaya Sumaila, the seventh accused (A7), is an excavator operator who lives in the Sagnarigu neighbourhood of the Tamale Metropolis, and Franklin Sarakpo, the eighth accused (A8), is the son of A5, who is currently on the run.
According to the front of the charge sheet, the complainants alleged that their cash and various personal effects had been stolen at some point in the month of June 2023.
The moment the police are in possession of the complaint, they immediately begin conducting investigations into the matter.
Following the findings of the inquiry, A1 and A3 were apprehended in their hiding place in Tamale, which is located in the Northern Region.
During the search of their room, a total of $40,000 USD and GH&72,619.70 in cash was discovered.
The inquiry conducted by the police indicated that sometime in October 2022, the complainant, Daniel Osei Kufour, returned from town to find that their bedroom, which had been locked, had been entered. He also heard a strange noise while he was in there.
Upon entering, he discovered Al lurking behind the entrance to the complainant's storeroom, where he had concealed a set of duplicate keys to the master bedroom of the complainant.
After then, the complainants uncovered evidence of theft involving the properties that were listed on the front of the charge sheet.
During the course of the investigation, A1 revealed that she had admitted to giving A5 70,000 United States Dollars (UDS) of the stolen money in order for her to purchase a home in Amrahia with three bedrooms.
The following brand-new items were discovered at the aforementioned house: one double-decker refrigerator, one television set, one washing machine, one chest freezer, one gas cooker, one water dispenser and related items. All of these products were purchased using portion of the money that was taken from Alused.
The investigation by the police further revealed that Al and A3 utilised some of the ill-gotten gains to purchase a Hyundai Elantra with the registration number GE 9771-23 for the sum of Eighty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH&80,000.00).
A1 also handed A3 the sum of One Hundred and Eighty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH&180,000.00), which the latter used to acquire an unregistered Honda Civic automobile with the DV plate number 4903-23, both of which have now been recovered.
The investigation further revealed that A1 and A3 used a portion of the stolen money to rent a three-bed room flat in Tamale at a total cost of One Hundred and Five Thousand, Six Hundred Cedis (GH&105,600.00) for a period of two years.
In addition, A1 and A3 utilised some of the stolen money to rent a storage space in Tamale for a total of One Hundred Twenty Thousand Ghana Cedis (120,000.00), which they paid with the stolen money.
Also named A2 as her accomplice, saying that when they were working in the complainants' house, she used to keep watch of the main gate in order to provide A2 the opportunity to enter the complainants' room and steal their money, after which she and A2 would divide the proceeds of their crime.
The subsequent inquiry led to A2 being taken into custody from her hiding place in Budumburam, which is a suburb of Kasoa.
The investigation also revealed that A2 spent some of the stolen money on constructing a residence in Budumburam that had three bedrooms and was independent of any other buildings.
A1 is also responsible for handing over 5,000 Ghana Cedis (GH&5,000.00) of the stolen money to A4, who later admitted to the fact that A1 had done so when they were being questioned.
A2 is also responsible for passing one hundred thousand Ghana cedis (GH&100,000.00) of the stolen money on to A4 by way of Al, who has admitted to doing the same thing.
In order to further investigate the circumstances surrounding the case, suspects A5, A6, and A8 were taken into custody.
Further inquiry revealed that Al handed an undisclosed amount of money in dollars to her brother Joe, who has since passed away. Joe, in turn, donated some of the stolen money to AS, who was living in a wooden building with her husband in the same area as A1. A5, who was aware that Al had stolen money from the complainants, ended up collecting a total amount of Two Million Eight Hundred Thirty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH42,830,000.00) from Al.
A5 immediately put the money towards the purchase of a home for herself in Budumburam, Ghana, which consisted of eleven separate units, each with its own chamber and hall, and cost eight hundred thousand Ghana cedis (GH&800,000.00).
A property in Aplaku with three bedrooms and a total cost of Three Hundred Thousand Cedis (GH&300,000.00) was purchased by A5 once more for A1 using these funds.
In addition, A5 and A6 got AS a house in Kokrobite that has four bedrooms and cost two hundred and eighty thousand Ghanaian cedis (GH&280,000.00).
A5 phoned A7 from Tamale and bought a three-bedroom self-contained house in Amrahia in A7's name for the sum of Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Cedis (GHc850,000.00).
Investigation further revealed that AS purchased two Honda Acura vehicles with registration numbers GB1407-2022 and GB 1406-22 at a cost of Three Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH&300,000.00) each which are registered in the name of A8 and Al respectively using the proceeds from the sale of the stolen goods. Currently under investigation is the case.