Former President John Dramani Mahama has questioned why an Akufo-Addo government minister of state would have millions of cedis and other foreign currencies in her residence.
Mr Mahama said in a tweet that the behaviour was “scandalous” and unfit for a public officer.
This is in response to the alleged theft of nearly a million dollars, €300,000, and millions of Ghana Cedis from the home of Cecilia Abena Dapaah, Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, and her husband by her house staff.
Two house helps of the minister are currently being prosecuted before an Accra Circuit Court over the incident.
“$1m + €300k and millions of GHS in a Ghanaian Minister’s home? Scandalous!! Even if genuinely acquired, why keep millions of hard currency at home? Will @NAkufoAddo [President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo] ever set a good example for public office holders in his administration?” Mahama posted on his Twitter handle.
Meanwhile, some Minority Members of Parliament (MPs) claim Cecilia Dapaah’s decision to keep such a large sum of money in her home was illegal.
Yussif Sulemana, Member of Parliament for Bole Bamboi, told Citi News that he expects President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to swiftly fire the Minister while inquiries into the authenticity of the money begin.
“I expect the President to fire her if it’s true that she kept that huge sum of money in her house. The question is where did she get the money? If indeed that money was legitimate, why did she put it in her house instead of the bank? If it is indeed established that this woman was keeping such sums of money, the first thing is for the President to sack her. That’s the only way we would know that the President is fighting corruption. The President must act and act immediately. The next stage is that any state institution interested in investigating her could do so freely,” Mr. Sulemana added.
Speaking to Citi News, Hamza Adam, the NDC MP for Kumbungu seat, said it would be surprising if the said funds were truly stored in the Minister’s house.
“Every minister of state has the right to own properties provided those properties are owned on the back of legitimacy. The issue surrounding Cecilia Dapaah is something that has come up as a shock, especially when everyone knows that the country is in a crisis. It will be surprising if indeed such monies were kept by her in her house. We have to establish the truth of the matter.”
“We are expecting the proper legal action to be taken and an investigation triggered to establish where she got the money from. I think it is illegal to keep such money in your house,” the Kumbungu MP added.
