Ghana minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah reported a robbery. Why was she arrested?

A authorities curate successful Ghana indispensable person thought she was doing the close happening by going to the constabulary to study a theft astatine her house, but it backfired spectacularly erstwhile she was arrested.

According to a tribunal complaint expanse dated past Thursday relating to those accused of the theft, Cecilia Abena Dapaah had a immense magnitude of wealth stolen.

It describes a "cash sum" of $1m (£780,000), arsenic good arsenic 300,000 euros ($333,000) and 350,000 Ghana cedis ($30,000), positive different idiosyncratic items including handbags valued astatine $35,000 and $95,000-worth of jewellery.

The 68-year-old disputes the figures fixed successful the tribunal papers but the revelations outraged galore successful Ghana.

The country's currency has been losing worth rapidly successful caller months, with those successful complaint of the troubled system blaming dollar hoarders for the woes of the cedi.

It was shocking for galore to larn that a authorities curate whitethorn person been holding overseas currency herself.

Ms Dapaah resigned arsenic curate of sanitation and h2o resources, a station she had held for the past 5 years connected Saturday successful order, she said, not to distract from the enactment of government. She added that she was definite that immoderate probe would amusement she had acted with integrity.

That did not quell the anger. By Monday she was nether arrest.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor, which deals with graft allegations against high-level officials, announced that it had arrested and was questioning Ms Dappah for "suspected corruption and corruption-related offences regarding ample amounts of wealth and different invaluable items reportedly stolen from her residence".

She was released connected bail precocious connected Monday evening aft her authoritative and backstage residences successful the capital, Accra, were searched.

The saga began with a burglary - oregon perchance a bid of burglaries - astatine the minister's backstage home, which she shares with her hubby and daughter.

Two women, who worked arsenic home workers for the family, are astatine the centre of the accusations. One is alleged to person operated arsenic a look-out, portion the different allegedly stole the currency and different goods. They - arsenic good arsenic the 3 others accused - person not commented connected the charges.

The "brief facts" of the investigation, which are attached to the complaint sheet, accidental that past October Ms Dapaah's husband, Daniel Osei Kuffour, returned location and heard "an antithetic noise" from his chamber and past recovered 1 of the accused hiding down the door.

It was afterwards that the mates realised that things were missing but they lone went to the constabulary 7 months later.

It is not wide wherefore determination was specified a agelong delay, but successful that clip the accused are alleged to person gone connected an extravagant spending spree.

One allegedly bought a three-bedroom location connected the outskirts of Accra arsenic good arsenic items to spell successful it: a double-decker fridge, a television, a washing machine, a thorax freezer, a state cooker and a h2o dispenser. She allegedly gave wealth to her fellow to bargain 2 cars - a Hyundai Elantra and a Honda Civic.

The mates are besides accused of renting different three-bedroom location successful a antithetic metropolis and a store room.

The different erstwhile worker of Ms Dapaah is alleged to person spent immoderate of her stock of the stolen wealth connected gathering her ain three-bedroom house.

But for the erstwhile curate herself, the root of the wealth that funded this alleged immense buying measure was a mystery.

In her resignation letter, Ms Dapaah said the reports that she had "various immense sums of overseas currencies and millions of Ghana cedis… bash not correspond correctly what my hubby and I reported to the police".

President Nana Akufo-Addo's effect disappointed anti-corruption campaigners arsenic it appeared to prejudge the result of the investigations.

"I americium confident… that astatine the extremity of the day, your integrity, whilst successful office, volition beryllium established," helium wrote to Ms Dapaah.

She had served arsenic a curate since President Akufo-Addo was archetypal elected successful 2017, initially successful aviation and a twelvemonth aboriginal she was switched to h2o and sanitation.

Ms Dapaah was good known arsenic she was 1 of conscionable 3 women successful the president's cabinet.

Now her governmental aboriginal hangs successful the equilibrium arsenic the peculiar authoritative investigates whether she truly had specified immense amounts of currency successful her location and if so, wherever it came from.