Cecilia Dapaah: OSP withdraws certiorari against High Court decision on 2nd confirmation application hearing

The Office of the Special Prosecutor has withdrawn its application where it invoked the supervisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, seeking to quash a ruling of the High Court to hear its second confirmation motion earlier than expected. 

The High Court presided over by Justice Edward Twum on October 11, granted a motion for an expedited hearing on the OSP's application to confirm the order to re-seize monies found in former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah’s house and refreeze her bank accounts. 

The OSP unhappy about the grant of that expedited hearing, then went to the Supreme Court to have that decision quashed and filed additional applications to Stay Proceedings at the High Court. 

With the case at the Supreme Court now withdrawn, the High Court will on December 11 hear the second motion for confirmation of seizure & freezing orders, the OSP shared in an update on X (formerly Twitter). 

“Motion for confirmation of seizure & freezing orders and criminal case adjourned to 11 December 2023,” the statement said. 

Background

The Office of the Special Prosecutor filed on September 11 a second motion seeking confirmation of a freezing order directed towards some amount of money retrieved from Ms. Dapaah and those in her bank account which the office believes are tainted.

This follows an August 31 ruling by the High Court presided over by Justice Edward Twum dismissing the OSP’s first attempt at the same end in the matter and ordering the latter to return the frozen cash to her within 7 days.

The OSP however announced that it had complied with the order of the court but immediately seized Cecilia Dapaah’s properties to aid their investigation insisting that those properties were tainted.