Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu has said the judge was right in denying the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) the power to freeze the bank accounts of former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
He wondered how the judge was going to grant the order when the OSP had not provided the crucial evidence, details of the bank statements for Madam Dapaah.
“As for the freezing of the account, the judge is spot on, the OSP didn’t expect to get the order when the details of the account have not been provided, how much was involved.
“Those are the accounts one is said to have transaction volumes up to 5 million Dollars and the other one has transaction volumes up to 48 million Cedis. What was Mr Kissi Agyebeng thinking that the judge should grant him an order on the accounts when he has not given the details? How?” he quizzed.
“That is the crown jewel of the case, the most crucial evidence that we have heard is that there are transaction volumes of up to $5M in one account and transaction volumes of up to GHc 48M,” he said on Accra-based TV3.
The Financial and Economic Division of an Accra High Court has ordered the OSP to return all monies seized from the former Sanitation Minister within seven days.
The Court also said it cannot confirm the freezing of her bank accounts and other properties.
Cecilia Abena Dapaah opposed the application by the OSP to freeze her accounts and seize her property.
It followed the OSP’s filing of a motion for confirmation of the order of freezing and seizure of the former Minister’s tainted property.
The OSP said to facilitate investigations, it considered it necessary for the issuance of a “freezing order against the bank account and investment of the former Minister at Prudential Bank Limited and Societe General Ghana in accordance with Section 38 (1) of Act 959 and regulation 19 (I) of LI 2374”.
Subsequently, the OSP conducted searches in three residential properties associated with the former Minister at Cantonment, Abelemkpe and Tesano all in Accra.
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