Houses, cars and cash running into millions of Ghana cedis have been retrieved from Patience Botwe and Sarah – former domestic workers of the resigned minister for Water and Sanitation, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
The police retrieved cash of US$40,000.00 and GH¢72,619.70 and landed properties such as GH¢800,000.00 compound house made up of 11 single-room apartments at Budumburam, GH¢300,000.00 3-bedroom house at Aplaku, GH¢280,000.00 3-bedroom house at Kokrobite and GH¢850,000.00 3-bedroom house at Amrahia.
This was revealed to the Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Afia Owusuaa Appiah, yesterday.
Mrs. Appiah was further told by the Prosecuting Officer, DSP Emmanuel Nyamekye that two cars valued at GH¢600,000.00 had also been retrieved. This brings the total expenditure of the house helps to over GH¢3.4 million.
DSP Nyamekye said the properties were retrieved from Patience Botwe, Sarah Agyei and a newly added accused, Yahaya Sumaila.
Previously, the police prosecution presented five accused persons namely – Patience, Sarah, Benjamin Sowa, Kweku Botwe and Malik Dauda.
In the latest amended charge sheet and brief facts, eight people were put before the court, with the exclusion of Kweku Botwe, Patience’s father.
They are Patience (A1), Sarah (A2), Benjamin (A3), Malik (A4), Christiana Achab (A5), Job Pomary (A6), Yahaya Sumaila (A7) and Franlin Sarakpo (A8) who is at large.
DSP Nyamekye prayed the court not to take the plea of the accused persons because the case is still under investigation and the police are hunting for other suspects connected to the case.
He said the extension of time would afford the police time to conduct a meticulous investigation on the instant matter and also that the case will be taking over by the Attorney-General.
Eleven charges had been preferred against the accused persons, they are conspiracy to commit a crime, stealing and dishonestly receiving.
Patience (hairdresser) and Sarah (unemployed) are facing one count of conspiracy to commit a crime, six counts of stealing US$800,000.00 and US$200,000.00 and €300,000.00 – all properties of the former minister.
Benjamin Sowa (Plumber) is charged with dishonestly receiving GH¢180,000.00 from his girlfriend Patience, although the money is a property of Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
Malik Dauda (unemployed) also dishonestly received GH¢100,000.00 from Sarah through Patience, his ex-girlfriend and another GH¢5,000.00 from the same.
Wife and husband, Christina (trader) and Job (mechanic) dishonestly received GH¢30,000.00 while Christiana, again with Yahaya, dishonestly received GH¢850,000.00.
Upon prayers from their lawyers, Sarah and Christina were granted bail in the sum of GH¢1 million with three sureties to be justified each.
The sureties were ordered by the court to deposit their passports and Ghana Cards at the court registry. They are also not supposed to travel out of the jurisdiction.
Case has been adjourned to August 22, 2023.
Read details of the amended charge sheet and the brief facts in our centre pages.
