Two house helps of Ghana’s Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, and her husband, Daniel Osei Kuffour, have been brought before an Accra Circuit Court to face charges of stealing monies and items running into millions of Ghana Cedis. The accused, an 18-year-old Patience Botwe and 30-year-old Sarah Agyei, allegedly stole the monies and personal effects from the couple’s residence in Abelemkpe, a suburb of Accra, between July and October 2022. Both women face charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and five counts of stealing, including US$1 million, €300,000, and millions of Ghana Cedis.
The stolen personal effects of Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah include assorted clothes valued at GH¢95,000, handbags, perfumes, and jewelry valued at US$95,000. Patience alone is accused of stealing six pieces of Kente cloth worth GH¢90,000 and six sets of men’s suits valued at US$3,000 that belonged to the minister’s husband.
In addition to Patience and Sarah, three other individuals are involved in the case. Benjamin, a 29-year-old plumber, has been charged with dishonestly receiving GH¢180,000, Kweku Botwe, a 65-year-old trader, with GH¢50,000, and Malik Dauda, a 23-year-old unemployed person, with GH¢1 million. All the stolen monies are alleged to be the property of Madam Dapaah and her husband, taken from their shared bedroom.
The accused individuals were brought before the Accra Circuit Court, with Judge Susana Ekuful presiding over the case on Thursday, July 20, 2023. Their pleas are yet to be taken. Sarah has been granted bail in the sum of GH¢1 million, with two sureties required to deposit their Ghana cards with the court’s registrar. The bail condition is subject to review by the substantive judge, considering that Judge Ekuful was serving as a relief judge at the time.
Patience, along with her alleged boyfriends and father, has been remanded into lawful custody. Sarah, on the other hand, was granted bail due to being a breastfeeding mother.
The court heard that Patience, also known as Maabena, was a house help for the complainants, Daniel Osei Kuffour and Cecilia Abena Dapaah. Sarah was also a former house help of the couple. The complainants reported the theft of cash and personal effects to the police in June of the same year, after detecting the unauthorized access to their bedroom. Patience was caught entering the couple’s room with a duplicate key, hiding behind the door when Mr. Kuffour returned home and heard unusual noises.
After the incident, the couple discovered some of their property was missing. Patience was arrested but went into hiding in Tamale with her boyfriend, Benjamin. They allegedly rented an apartment and a store at considerable costs. Police intelligence led to the arrest of Patience, and a search in their apartment resulted in the retrieval of US$40,000 and GH¢72,619.70.
Patience is accused of buying a three-bedroom house at Amrahia for US$70,000 and furnishing it with various brand-new items, including a double-decker refrigerator, water dispenser, television set, washing machine, and chest cooler, among others. She also purchased a Hyundai Elantra at the cost of GH¢80,000 for Benjamin, who later sold it to buy a Honda Civic. Patience also allegedly gave her father GH¢50,000 and her ex-boyfriend, Malik, GH¢1 million.
During the interrogation, Patience implicated Sarah as her accomplice, revealing that while working together, Patience used to keep watch at the main gate to enable Sarah to enter the couple’s room and steal, after which they shared the loot. Sarah was arrested at Budumburam, and during the investigation, it was revealed that she used her portion of the stolen money to build a three-bedroom house where she was apprehended.
The case has been adjourned to August 2, 2023, as the court continues to investigate and consider the evidence presented in this complex and high-profile case involving the theft of millions of Ghana Cedis from the residence of a government minister.
Two house helps of Ghana’s Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, and her husband, Daniel Osei Kuffour, have been brought before an Accra Circuit Court to face charges of stealing monies and items running into millions of Ghana Cedis. The accused, an 18-year-old Patience Botwe and 30-year-old Sarah Agyei, allegedly stole the monies and personal effects from the couple’s residence in Abelemkpe, a suburb of Accra, between July and October 2022. Both women face charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and five counts of stealing, including US$1 million, €300,000, and millions of Ghana Cedis.
The stolen personal effects of Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah include assorted clothes valued at GH¢95,000, handbags, perfumes, and jewelry valued at US$95,000. Patience alone is accused of stealing six pieces of Kente cloth worth GH¢90,000 and six sets of men’s suits valued at US$3,000 that belonged to the minister’s husband.
In addition to Patience and Sarah, three other individuals are involved in the case. Benjamin, a 29-year-old plumber, has been charged with dishonestly receiving GH¢180,000, Kweku Botwe, a 65-year-old trader, with GH¢50,000, and Malik Dauda, a 23-year-old unemployed person, with GH¢1 million. All the stolen monies are alleged to be the property of Madam Dapaah and her husband, taken from their shared bedroom.
The accused individuals were brought before the Accra Circuit Court, with Judge Susana Ekuful presiding over the case on Thursday, July 20, 2023. Their pleas are yet to be taken. Sarah has been granted bail in the sum of GH¢1 million, with two sureties required to deposit their Ghana cards with the court’s registrar. The bail condition is subject to review by the substantive judge, considering that Judge Ekuful was serving as a relief judge at the time.
Patience, along with her alleged boyfriends and father, has been remanded into lawful custody. Sarah, on the other hand, was granted bail due to being a breastfeeding mother.
The court heard that Patience, also known as Maabena, was a house help for the complainants, Daniel Osei Kuffour and Cecilia Abena Dapaah. Sarah was also a former house help of the couple. The complainants reported the theft of cash and personal effects to the police in June of the same year, after detecting the unauthorized access to their bedroom. Patience was caught entering the couple’s room with a duplicate key, hiding behind the door when Mr. Kuffour returned home and heard unusual noises.
After the incident, the couple discovered some of their property was missing. Patience was arrested but went into hiding in Tamale with her boyfriend, Benjamin. They allegedly rented an apartment and a store at considerable costs. Police intelligence led to the arrest of Patience, and a search in their apartment resulted in the retrieval of US$40,000 and GH¢72,619.70.
Patience is accused of buying a three-bedroom house at Amrahia for US$70,000 and furnishing it with various brand-new items, including a double-decker refrigerator, water dispenser, television set, washing machine, and chest cooler, among others. She also purchased a Hyundai Elantra at the cost of GH¢80,000 for Benjamin, who later sold it to buy a Honda Civic. Patience also allegedly gave her father GH¢50,000 and her ex-boyfriend, Malik, GH¢1 million.
During the interrogation, Patience implicated Sarah as her accomplice, revealing that while working together, Patience used to keep watch at the main gate to enable Sarah to enter the couple’s room and steal, after which they shared the loot. Sarah was arrested at Budumburam, and during the investigation, it was revealed that she used her portion of the stolen money to build a three-bedroom house where she was apprehended.
The case has been adjourned to August 2, 2023, as the court continues to investigate and consider the evidence presented in this complex and high-profile case involving the theft of millions of Ghana Cedis from the residence of a government minister.
