Former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources Cecilia Dapaah has testified in court for the first time in her ongoing criminal trial, alleging that her domestic workers stole substantial amounts of money and valuables from her storage room over an extended period.
Speaking before the High Court in Accra on Tuesday March 11, Madam Dapaah revealed that the accused individuals took $410,000, €300,000, and GHS 350,000 (approximately $30,000) in cash. Additionally, she stated that jewelry worth $53,000 was also stolen.
Dapaah, who expressed distress over the losses, noted that the stolen items had been accumulated over three decades and held significant personal value.
This marks her first court appearance since the trial began in 2023. She has accused two former female housekeepers of stealing the money, along with other valuables, including her husband’s clothing, from her Accra residence.
Meanwhile, Four out of the seven individuals accused of stealing from former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, have submitted a plea-bargaining request to the Attorney General.
The lawyer for the four — Patience Botwe, a hairdresser; Sarah Agyei, unemployed; Benjamin Sowah, a plumber; and Malik Dauda, unemployed — informed the court that they had filed an application for a plea bargain. Yahaya Sumaila, an excavator operator, is also among the applicants.
However, the prosecution noted that they had not yet been served with the application.
Presiding judge, Marie Louise Simmons, directed the defense lawyers to serve the prosecution with the necessary documents.
