Cecilia Dapaah’s Case Back To EOCO

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has officially returned the case involving former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for renewed investigation.

Speaking at a media briefing in Accra yesterday, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, disclosed that EOCO, under new leadership, had formally requested the docket for review and investigation, after initially rejecting it in May 2024.

The OSP said, “By a letter dated 14 May 2025, the new leadership of EOCO requested the OSP to forward the docket back to EOCO for a review and commencement of investigation.

“Under the cover of communication dated 29 May, 2025 the OSP forwarded a duplicate docket of the case back to EOCO.”

The OSP commenced its investigation into Cecilia Dapaah and her associates in July 2023, following reports of large sums of cash and valuable items found in her home, sparking public outrage and demands for accountability.

Mr. Agyebeng reported that while the OSP and the FBI did not find direct and immediate evidence of corruption regarding the seized funds and frozen bank accounts, the inquiry revealed strong indications of suspected money laundering and financial structuring offences that are not directly within the mandate of the OSP.

In January 2024, the OSP referred the matter to EOCO for further action. However, EOCO, under the previous administration, returned the case, arguing that money laundering, being a collateral offence, must be based on a primary or predicate offence.

Since no such predicate offence had been established by the OSP, EOCO claimed it lacked the mandate to investigate further.

The situation changed when EOCO requested that the docket be returned for review and possible commencement of investigation under its renewed mandate. The OSP has agreed to offer full collaborative support in EOCO’s renewed effort, noting that the docket provides valuable background for EOCO to act upon.

“This Office considers that the docket serves as a valuable background resource for EOCO to commence its own investigation in respect of aspects of the case the OSP does not have a direct mandate,” Mr. Agyebeng stated.

Charles Bissue and Illegal Mining Scandal

The Special Prosecutor also provided updates on criminal proceedings filed on April 28, 2025 against Charles Bissue, former Secretary to the now-defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining and his co-accused, Andy Thomas Owusu.

The pair face fifteen counts of corruption and corruption-related offences.

According to the OSP, Mr. Owusu has negotiated a plea bargain, which has been filed in court and is expected to be finalised in the coming days. The plea bargain is described as both restitutive and reparative in nature.

The OSP accepted Mr. Owusu’s offer on the basis of several considerations under Section 71(4) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), including:

1. Mr. Owusu’s criminal history;
2. His level of cooperation during the investigation;
3. The likelihood of securing a conviction if the case proceeds to trial;
4. The probable effects on witnesses if the case were to be litigated; and
5. The need to prevent delays in resolving other pending cases.

National Petroleum Authority

According to the OSP, since November 2024, it has been investigating the operations of the NPA and the conduct of some of its officials between 2022 and 2024.

The findings so far point to the existence of a highly organized and corrupt scheme in which high-ranking NPA officials abused their office to amass illegal wealth.

The corrupt scheme reportedly involved the use of threats, coercion, intimidation, bribery and excessive regulatory pressure to extort large sums of money from oil marketing companies (OMCs) and other industry entities that fall under the NPA’s regulatory oversight.

As of May 30, 2025, the OSP revealed that it had traced a staggering GHS280, 516,127.19 as proceeds of the scheme. These illicit funds were reportedly used by the perpetrators to: Purchase apartments, suites, and houses both locally and abroad; Acquire 22 fuel haulage trucks; Incorporate and operate new oil marketing companies that directly competed with the regulated companies.

The Special Prosecutor announced that criminal charges would be filed before the end of June 2025 against the first batch of perpetrators and complicit oil marketing companies.

“Upon filing, we would brief you in detail in respect of who did what, who acquired what, and what has been recovered,” Mr. Agyebeng assured the media.

The Special Prosecutor reiterated the OSP’s determination to continue its investigations and ensure accountability across all sectors.

He underscored the need for coordinated institutional action in the fight against corruption and insisted that no one is above the law.

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