Private authorized practitioner Martin Kpebu has expressed confidence in Parliament to probe the Economic and Organised Crime Office’s (EOCO) actions in dealing with the alleged cash laundering case involving the previous Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Dapaah.
Mr Kpebu and a few outstanding Ghanaians, together with former Auditor-General Daniel Yao Domelevo, have filed a petition to Parliament looking for a bipartisan probe into the conduct of EOCO within the investigation relating to the stash of cash discovered within the residence of Madam Cecelia Dapaah.
According to the petitioners, EOCO had greater than sufficient foundation to analyze the previous Minister for cash laundering, as she has been inconsistent and unable to supply the supply over the large sum of money seized at her residence by the Special Prosecutor.
Following an recommendation from the workplace of the Attorney-General, the Executive Director of EOCO, COP Maame Tiwa Addo-Danquah, acknowledged in an announcement on May 7 that the docket on Madam Dapaah was returned to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) on May 3, 2024, indicating that there was nothing to analyze after a cautious evaluation of the docket.
Mr Kpebu, talking on The Key Points on Saturday, May 18, accused Madam Tiwaa Addo-Danquah of masking up corrupt officers.
He maintained that Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng have to be celebrated for blowing the whistle on an alleged cash laundering case towards the previous minister for EOCO to analyze.
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“For Kissi [Agyebeng] to have achieved this after which EOCO seems to be at it and says that I can’t make a head or tail of this when the proof is there in plain sight, what’s the revenue of Madam Dapaah to match this colossal sum of in her home? Then you might be working round attempting to throw mud into our eyes and that’s the reason we wish EOCO to be held.
“We will never forget that Madam Tiwaa has such a bad profile of protecting President Akufo-Addo and his appointees. That is how come there is only one conclusion that this one too she tossed the case just to protect President Akufo-Addo.”
“So we want Parliament to set up a bipartisan committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding how EOCO reneged on its statutory duties to investigate the money laundering allegations.”
Meanwhile, the petition, which was obtained by the secretary to Speaker Bagbin on Thursday, May 16, acknowledged, amongst different issues, that “the failure to explain the source of the money should have been the cornerstone of the investigation,” by EOCO.
It additionally raised issues about what the group described because the deliberate refusal by EOCO to take steps to guard the cash that had been seized from the residence of the previous minister by the OSP.
Read extra: Cecilia Dapaah saga: OSP-EOCO public disagreements worrying – Ghana Integrity Initiative
“Upon receipt of the docket, EOCO did not act timeously to seize the money that the OSP was returning to Madam Cecelia Dapaa as public stated by the OSP”.
The petition additionally stated EOCO has been inconsistent with their public commentary and actions within the investigation.