The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has described as misleading and mischievous, media reports on its Half-Yearly Report regarding investigations involving Ms. Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
According to the OSP, some media outlets claimed that the FBI “found no evidence of corruption,” while others reported that the Bureau “found no direct evidence of corruption,” with some even suggesting that Ms. Dapaah had been cleared.
“These reports are inaccurate and a mischievous misrepresentation of the OSP’s Half-Yearly Report (page 9, bullet 2.26).
“The findings were the result of investigations conducted by the OSP and a parallel aspect by the FBI at the instance of the OSP,” the Office said in a public notice.
The OSP clarified that its report “clearly indicated that no direct and immediate evidence of corruption was found — a carefully defined legal standard that is materially different from the blanket phrases as ‘no evidence’ and ‘has been cleared.’”
The Office further explained that the case was referred to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) under its previous leadership.
“…Investigations uncovered strong indications of suspected money laundering and structuring, which fall within EOCO’s direct mandate. The previous leadership of EOCO did not act on it and returned the docket to the OSP.”
It added that the docket has since been returned to EOCO upon a request by its new leadership.
The OSP has therefore urged all media houses to be circumspect in their reportage.
“The OSP urges all media outlets to report with precision and fidelity to the text of official documents to ensure accurate, fair, and responsible public communication on matters of high national interest,” the statement advised.
The OSP rebuttal comes at the time of its investigations on some 67 cases of corruption and corruption-related activities.
