Five individuals have petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah for allegedly acquiring assets disproportionate to her income.

The petitioners, Mensah Thompson, Al-Hassan Kwadwo Baidoo, Bernard Anbataayela Mornah, Ransford Antwi, and Joyce Atitso, have called for a thorough investigation into Dapaah’s finances.

The controversy surrounding Dapaah began with a theft report at her home, leading to her resignation in July 2023. The stolen items included substantial amounts of money—$1 million, €300,000, and GH¢350,000—as well as luxury handbags valued at $35,000 and $95,000 worth of jewellery.

The disclosure of these amounts sparked public outrage amidst Ghana’s economic challenges and the devaluation of the cedi.

Following her resignation, Dapaah was arrested by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), which discovered over GH¢48 million in her accounts.

The investigation, which drew in the FBI, lasted nearly seven months before the OSP dropped the charges due to insufficient evidence and transferred the case to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO). EOCO, in turn, returned the docket to the OSP, citing a lack of evidence.

The petitioners in their request on May 20 urged CHRAJ to scrutinise Ms Dapaah’s assets, which include $1,390,000; €300,000, GH₵3,212,007; and bank accounts in both cedis and dollars.

“…More importantly, we are fortified in the need for this investigation because during interrogation by the OSP as to the source of her income, Madam Cecilia Dapaah could not give any proper explanation,” they added.