Police forward docket on Cecilia Dapaah’s theft case to AG

According to the brief facts attached to the charge sheet, the complainants in the case are Daniel Osei Kuffour and his wife, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, who reside at Abelemkpe, Accra.

The first accused (A1), Patience Botwe (also known as Maabena) was a house help to the complainants. The second accused (A2), Sarah Agyei, is currently unemployed and a former house help to the complainants

The third accused (A3), Benjamin Sowah, is a boyfriend to A1.  The fourth accused (A4), Kwaku Botwe, is A1’s father and the fifth accused (A5), Malik Dauda, is A1’s former boyfriend.

Sometime in June 2023, the complainants reported a theft of cash and personal effects, as noted on the face of the charge sheet. Before then, A1, who was a house help to the complainants, had been caught opening and entering the bedroom of the complainants with a duplicate key.

Upon intelligence, A1 and A3 were arrested at a hideout in Tamale in the Northern Region. A search of their room led to the discovery of US$40,000 and GHC72,619.70.

Police investigations showed that sometime in October 2022, the complainant Daniel Osei Kuffour returned from town and observed that the door to the bedroom he shares with his wife, which had been locked, was open. He also heard an unusual noise coming from the room.

He entered the room and found A1 hiding behind the door therein. Subsequently, the complainants detected thefts of the property listed on the face of the charge sheet.

Further investigations showed that A1 had used part of the stolen money to buy a three-bedroomed house in Amrahia, Accra, at a cost of US$70,000.

The following brand-new items which A1 used part of the stolen money to buy were also retrieved from the said house: one double-deck refrigerator, one television set, one washing machine, one chest freezer, one gas cooker and one water dispenser. Also discovered were related items.

A1 and A3 also confessed that they used some of the stolen money to buy a Hyundai Elantra with the registration number GE 9771-23 at a cost of GHC80,000. A1 also gave GHC180,000 to A3, who used the money to purchase an unregistered Honda Civic car with the plate number DV 4903-23. This has been retrieved by the police.

Investigations also disclosed that A1 and A3 used parts of the stolen money to rent a three-bedroomed apartment in Tamale at a total cost of GHC105,600 for a period of two years.

In addition, A1 and A3 used part of the stolen money to rent a storeroom in Tamale at a total cost of GHC120,000.

A1 admitted the offence and mentioned A2 as her accomplice, explaining that, when they were working in the complainants’ house, she used to keep watch of the main gate for A2 to go into the complainants’ room to steal money, after which they would share the spoils.

A2 was subsequently arrested from a hideout in Budumburam, a suburb of Kasoa, and began to assist the police investigation. Further questioning led to the discovery that A2 had used part of the stolen money to build a three-bedroomed, self-contained house in Budumburam.

A1 also gave GHC50,000 out of the stolen money to A4, who admitted this fact during interrogation. A2 further gave GHC100,000 out of the stolen money to A5, who also admitted this.