I acquired $95,000 worth of Jewellery in 35 years – Cecilia Dapaah tells Court

Former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah has told the court that she acquired $95,000 worth of jewellery over a period of 35 years.

She made this disclosure during a hearing on the source of her wealth on March 11, 2025, following allegations of unexplained cash discoveries at her residence.

There was drama in court today when the former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, took the witness stand to explain how her money and jewelry were stolen from her storeroom by her house helps and their friends.

She told the court that a total of $95,000 was stolen from her storeroom by one of her house helps.

Madam Cecilia Dapaah said she later realized that many of her valuable clothes (both sewn and unsewn), kente cloths, dresses, skirt suits, blouses, handbags, lace fabrics, and perfumes were missing.

She also found out that large sums of money had been stolen from the storeroom. This included $210,000 belonging to her late brother, Nana Akwasi Essan II, also known as Charles Dapaah. Another $210,000 was part of an amount of $800,000 that her elder brother, Henry Osei Kwabena, had brought to her for safekeeping on their mother’s instructions after their brother’s passing.

She listed other stolen amounts as follows:

• $200,000 belonging to Dorcas Wiredua, a client and relative of her husband.
• €300,000 belonging to her husband.
• GHC 300,000, which was money she and her siblings contributed for their late mother’s funeral.
• GHC 50,000, which was her personal money.

The former minister told the court that on October 6, 2022, while she was in Kumasi, she received a phone call from her husband. He told her that he had caught Patience Botwe, the accused person, inside one of the bedrooms in their house, which also served as a storeroom.

They agreed that her husband should take Patience to the Tesano Police Station to report the incident.

Later, her husband called again to say that when he returned home from the police station, he realized that the storeroom had been ransacked.

She said she returned home on October 10, 2022, and when she entered the storeroom, she saw that it had indeed been ransacked and many of their belongings were missing.

After she and her husband noticed that their money and belongings were gone, they hoped to convince the first accused to return the stolen items because of their relationship with her and Malik Dauda.

“After my husband and I noticed our belongings and monies were missing, we were hoping to impress upon the first accused to return the stolen items because of the relationship we have with her and Malik Dauda”

However, after some time, they realized that the accused had no intention of returning the money.

The police also informed them that investigations showed the money had been shared among several people, including the accused persons.

The police initially took the first accused to court, but later, they were informed that she had jumped bail.

After Madam Cecilia Dapaah finished giving her testimony, the lawyers for the accused persons cross-examined her. They also told the court, presided over by Justice Maria-Louise Simmons, that they had started negotiations for a plea bargain.

Cross-examination

1. what is your name?
2. Highest level of education?
3. First degree.
4. What do you do for a living?
5. Currently I am retired as public servant.
6. At the time you reported this matter to the police, were you in active work?
7. Initially when I lodged the complaint I was still in active service.
8. Can you tell the court the total amount of money that you allege was stolen?
9. I can’t mention the figure.
10. I put it to you that you don’t know the actual amount of money that you allege was stolen?
11. My Lady, that is not correct.
12. The amount involved was in three different currencies: Ghana Cedis, USD and Euros. Is that correct?
13. Yes, ‘my Lady
14. Can you tell the court how much Ghana cedi’s?
15. 50k and 300k
16. Can you do same for dollars?
17. 200k and 210k
18. Can you do same for the euros?
19. 300k euros
20. Do you know A5, have you ever met her?
21. My Lady, I don’t. I have never met her.
22. Do you know Job Pomary?
23. I don’t.
24. I put it to you that both Christiana Achab and Job Pomary per your own admission that you have never met them before, have no basis to be in court.
25. I’m not legally equipped to answer this question.

Since Madam Dapah has admitted that she has never met Christiana Achab and Job Pomary I object to the charge sheet.

1. Yes, I got to know Patience Botwe through Malik Duada who my husband and I have known for about 20 years.

“We stayed with Patience Botwe for about 5- years as our house help. I noticed she was pregnant and I asked Malik Duada to ask Sarah Agyei if she was interested in coming over to clean our compound since she was unemployed. She accepted the offer but said she will come and sweep the compound but will not be resident. I sacked Sarah Agyei because she and Malik Duada were always quarreling”

1. Can you list the jewelry stolen?
2. Yes, Eleven (11) sets of earrings and pendants which cost Three Thousand Dollars ($ 3, 000 USD) bringing the total value to Thirty-Three Thousand Dollars ($33,000 USD), Four gold bangles which cost Three Thousand Five hundred Dollars (S3, 500 USD) each totaling fourteen thousand dollars (S14, 000USD), Fifteen gold earring sets purchased at One Thousand Dollars each totaling Fifteen thousand dollars (S15, 000USD), Diamond set earrings, pendants and bangle bought at Nine Thousand five Hundred dollars (59,500 USD),Twelve chains which cost Two Thousand Ghana Cods (S2000 USD) each totaling Twenty-four Thousand Dollars ($24,000 USD).

The court adjourned the case to 12 March 2025 for continuation.