Are You Surprised Someone Who Spent US$43m to Distill the Odaw Basin Has US$1m? – A Plus Asks

Kwame Asare Obeng, widely known as A Plus, one-time musician turned political activist, has spoken on the huge amounts of alleged stolen monies – foreign exchange and Ghana cedis – from the home of Cecilia Abena Dapaah, the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources.

A Plus in making his point referred to the amount of money her ministry spent on the desilting of the Odaw basin, suggesting that it may not be surprising for her to possess such wealth in her home.

Taking to his Facebook page on July 21, 2023, A Plus shared a video footage of Cecilia Dapaah responding to a parliamentary sitting, where she addressed the said Odaw River desilting project.

Accompanying the video, A Plus captioned, “Are you surprised that someone who spent 43 million dollars on the desilting of the Odaw basin has $1 million dollars and Koominini sitting in her house?”

Background:

According to an official charge sheet from an Accra Circuit Court, the brazen thefts occurred at the couple’s residence in Abelemkpe, a suburb of Accra, over a three-month period from July to October 2022.

The accused, identified as Patience and Sarah, are facing serious charges, including conspiracy to commit a crime and multiple counts of stealing involving staggering amounts of money.

Not only were monetary assets stolen, but the accused also allegedly made off with personal belongings of Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah, such as valuable clothes, handbags, perfumes, and jewelry. The stolen items amounted to a shocking value of GH¢95,000 and US$95,000.

Further accusations involved Patience acting alone in the theft of cultural treasures, including six pieces of Kente cloth worth GH¢90,000 and six sets of men’s suits valued at US$3,000, which belonged to the minister’s husband.

The court has also charged three additional individuals in connection with the thefts, revealing the complexity of the case.

The accused allegedly used the stolen funds to finance various properties and purchases, including renting a 3-bedroom apartment and a store in Tamale, buying vehicles, and funding other personal expenses.

The court has adjourned the case to August 2, 2023, while investigations continue.