Cecilia Dapaah’s $1M case: Fmr minister’s maid, six others rearrested

Former Housemaid of Cecila Abena Dapaah, Patience Botwe and six others have been slapped with 31 fresh charges moments after they were rearrested upon being discharged by the Circuit Court.

The Prosecution withdrew the amended Charged Sheet filed on August 8 which pressed some 14 counts of charges against the accused persons in connection with the stolen $1 million, 300, 000 euros and some properties worth millions of Ghana cedis.

In Court on Wednesday, November 8, State Prosecutors led by Akosua Agyepomaa Agyemang withdrew the amended charged sheet following the fresh Charge Sheet filed at the High Court.

“The Republic wishes to apply to redraw all the charges as per the amended Charged Sheet filed on August 8, 2023 against all the accused in this court as per Section 59 of the criminal and other offense procedure act.

“The Republic has filed a new charge sheet at the high court and we are humbly praying that all the charges against the accused persons be withdrawn,” Akosua Agyepomaa Agyemang prayed the Court.

Her Honour Afia Owusuaa Appiah, the sitting judge upon hearing submissions of the counsel for the republic, said “the charged sheet filed on August 8 is hereby struck out as withdrawn and accused persons are discharged.”

The Court told the accused persons that, “you are free to go home. There is no matter before me.”

EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, reports that, moments after they stepped out of the docket they were rearrested, handcuffed and whisked away.

New charges

The latest charged sheet filed at the High Court preferred some 31 counts, eight more than the 14 that were on the amended charged sheet which was withdrawn on Wednesday at the Circuit Court.

The 31 new counts comprised of five counts of conspiracy, six counts of stealing, nine counts of dishonestly receiving and 11 counts of money laundering.

Patience Botwe, 18, and seven others have been charged for allegedly stealing various sums of monies including $1 million, 300, 000 euros and other properties.

They have since July 6, this year, been put before the Circuit Court while investigations were ongoing.

Patience Botwe, 18, hairdresser together with Sarah Agyei, 30, unemployed, Benjamin Sowah, 29, plumber, Malik Dauda,34, unemployed, Christiana Achab, a trader, Job Pomary, a mechanic, and Yahaya Sumaila, Excavator operator, were on a provisional 14 counts of Offences before it was withdrawn.