According to Samuel Appiah Darko, the Director of Strategy, Research, and Communications at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), the docket pertaining to former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah has already been returned by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
Mr. Darko refuted EOCO’s claims that it plans to return the docket, stating that it has already occurred, to Citi FM’s Bernard Avle, host of the Citi Breakfast Show.
“Let me start with what EOCO said yesterday [Monday, May 6] that they were going to return the docket to the OSP, that is not accurate. They have long returned the docket to us with an explanation that they have been advised by the AG [Attorney General] not to investigate but remember, we did not say to prosecute, [to] investigate and so I don’t understand why EOCO will say they are now going to return the docket to OSP.”
Mr. Darko went on to refute assertions that the docket it sent to EOCO was unfounded, saying that EOCO is merely trying to place the responsibility on the OSP rather than show that it is interested in looking into the situation.
“The second point I want to make is this whole idea that the docket that the OSP sent to EOCO was baseless and if you will indulge me, I am going to be a bit detailed, although we are not supposed to do this but our point is that if there is no appetite to want to investigate and prosecute, tell the people of Ghana that there is no appetite but don’t try to put the blame on the OSP.”
Maame Yaa Tiwa Addo-Danquah, the Executive Director of EOCO, revealed to the media during the 14th Commonwealth Regional Conference of Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa on Monday that her organization planned to return the docket since they were at a loss for what to do.
“If you read the A-G’s advice, whatever that we would have done had already been directed at the police CID. And like he said this morning, when you investigate a case and you do not find anything, we should be bold enough to come and tell the public that for this case, even though I suspected this at the day, that wasn’t what came out; we should be bold the Ghanaian.”
