The Attorney General’s recommendation to halt the money laundering investigation into former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah has been rejected by private attorney Martin Kpebu.
Kpebu contends that the AG’s advice lacks a legal basis, labelling it “false and not grounded in law.”
He asserts that the AG’s requirement of a predicate offence for prosecution against Dapaah is “incorrect.”
On May 1, the Attorney General’s office advised against conducting money laundering investigations against Dapaah by the Economic and Organized Crime Office.
This recommendation came after the Special Prosecutor’s office determined that it was not within its purview to investigate Dapaah’s residence for the finding of over one million dollars; instead, it suggested looking into money laundering.
On Citi TV’s The Big Issue, Kpebu argued that Dapaah’s inability to account for her wealth warranted the AG’s intervention.
He urged the AG to retract its communication to EOCO.
“The letter is a huge mistake, a faux pas, that was a wrong step because the letter is not grounded in law. The AG is insisting that you need a predicate offence before you can prosecute someone for money laundering, but that is not correct, it’s false, we have changed the law. There’s a new law, for us in Ghana, that says no need for predicate offence.
“Cecilia Dapaah cannot explain her source of money, if you take her to court, she’s guilty. The Attorney General’s letter is so bad that it has to be withdrawn. The AG has to be humble, we all don’t know it all, if the AG has gotten it wrong, he should just accept his mistake. He cannot win every case,” he told host Selorm Adonoo.
The Attorney General’s review also revealed that the OSP had not found any evidence of corruption against Dapaah.
The Attorney General’s position, however, is that accusations of money laundering depend on earnings from illicit activity.
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