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Legal Practitioner Martin Kpebu has called for the withdrawal of the Attorney General’s letter advising against money laundering investigations into former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah’s affairs.
The Attorney General’s office issued this advice on May 1, citing a lack of basis in the Special Prosecutor’s request for such investigations.
The Special Prosecutor’s office initiated the probe after discovering over 1 million dollars in Dapaah’s residence, raising concerns of money laundering, albeit outside its jurisdiction.
Kpebu criticized the Attorney General’s letter as a “huge mistake,” emphasizing the need for its retraction.
He argued that the letter’s premise, requiring a predicate offence for money laundering charges, contradicts Ghanaian law, which no longer mandates such a requirement.
According to Kpebu, Dapaah’s inability to account for the source of her funds could lead to a conviction, despite the absence of a predicate offence.
He urged the Attorney General to acknowledge any misstep and retract the letter, acknowledging that fallibility is inherent even in government institutions.
The Attorney General’s review of the case did not reveal findings of corruption against Dapaah by the OSP.
However, the office maintains that money laundering charges hinge on gains from criminal proceeds, a criterion it believes the case lacks.