The Attorney-General’s office has withdrawn charges brought up against former domestic workers of Cecilia Abena Dapaah and her husband, Daniel Kuffour, at the Accra Circuit Court. Five others, who were charged alongside the domestic workers, also had their cases withdrawn at the Circuit Court.
The charges were withdrawn yesterday by the Assistant State Attorney (ASA), Akosua Agyapomaa Agyemang, following weeks of adjournments.
The accused persons – Patience Botwe (A1), Sarah Agyei (A2), Benjamin Sowah (A3), Malik Dauda (A4), Christiana Achab (A5), Job Pomary (A6), Yahaya Sumaila (A7) and Franklin Sarakpo (A8), at large, were discharged by the court.
Patience Botwe, an 18 year old hairdresser and Sarah Agyei, 30, unemployed, were domestic workers of Cecilia Abena Dapaah, a former minister of state.
The accused persons were re-arrested by police, immediately after exiting the court and would be facing fresh charges at the High Court today.
At the circuit court, the state slapped the accused persons with 11 counts of criminal charges. These are conspiracy to commit a crime, stealing and dishonestly receiving.
However, with the exception of Franklin Sarakpo, the other seven accused persons would be answerable to 31 counts of criminal charges- conspiracy to commit a crime, stealing, dishonestly receiving and money laundering at the High Court.
Patience and Sarah were earlier charged with 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) was 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 person.
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.
Apart from patience, the other accused persons were granted bail by the circuit court, presided over Her Honour Afia Owusuaa Appian, but none of them was able to execute the bail bond.
The police retrieved from the accused persons, cash of US$40,000.00 and GH¢72,619.70 and landed properties.
