The Attorney General’s office has rebuffed the Special Prosecutor’s (OSP) request to investigate alleged money laundering linked to former minister Cecilia Dapaah. The OSP’s referral to the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) was met with skepticism by the Attorney General, who found significant gaps in the evidence provided.
According to correspondence dated April 25, 2024, the Attorney General’s office conveyed its reservations to EOCO, highlighting the absence of a substantive report from the OSP detailing findings of their collaborative investigation. Instead, the docket presented to EOCO contained only procedural documents and statements, lacking any conclusive evidence of corruption or related offenses against Dapaah.
The Attorney General stressed the importance of establishing a clear link between financial gains and criminal activities in money laundering investigations. With no identifiable criminality associated with the assets seized from the suspects, the OSP’s referral for money laundering inquiries was deemed unfounded.
Furthermore, the Attorney General advised against EOCO pursuing investigations into the source of funds allegedly belonging to Cecilia Dapaah, citing ongoing inquiries by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). Despite the OSP’s assertion of suspicion regarding potential money laundering activities, the Attorney General deemed EOCO’s involvement unnecessary, given existing directives for the Police Service to handle this aspect of the case.
The OSP’s decision to defer the case, involving over $1 million discovered at Dapaah’s residence, to EOCO raised eyebrows initially. However, the Attorney General’s intervention has cast doubt on the viability of pursuing money laundering charges without concrete evidence.
