Open Letter to the Citizenry of Ghana on some aspects of the Hon Cecilia Dapaah’s Saga

Fellow Citizens, the report of the theft at the residence of Hon Cecilia Dapaah, reportedly involving the loss of an amount of US$1million, Euro 3,000, GHC350,000.00, Jewelries and other items, her consequential resignation as the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources and the tone of the letter from the President, which accepted her resignation have brought several relevant issues to the front burner.

Folks, Hon Cecilia Dapaah’s Saga has presented different perspectives on the case of the theft at her residence which she personally lodged with the Police, the subsequent generation of perception of corruption etc which is under investigation by Special Prosecutor. Since, fixing the Ghana Agenda Articles through the vehicle of Modern Ghana are for shaping public opinion on national issues, hence, once again, I write to you currently on the associated lessons from the Saga for better public discourses. The most important areas of assessments are (1). Is it illegal to keep large sums of local currency money at home? (2). Is it illegal to keep large sums of Foreign Currency at home? (3). Why will one keep large sums of money at home?, (4). How much should one keep at home? (5). How to keep sums of money very safe? (6).is it proper for Political Exposed person or Public Policy Office holder to keep large sums of money at home (7). Considerations or Lessons from the Cecilia Saga?

Is it illegal to keep large sums of money at home?

First of all, there is no law in most Countries including Ghana banning the keeping of large sums of money whether local or in foreign currency at home. M oney or cash is simply an asset precisely liquid assets which is either cash on hand or cash on bank deposits, Treasurer Bills, Shares and Bonds. consequently, laws of Countries only require the payment of tax on the revenue (earnings) made by each person/ citizens on legitimate acquired Assets or wealth including cash after that it is left with one or the owner to decide on how to store his or her assets to maintain the value or how and where to keep the money either cash on hand or by investment or to keep his or her money with the bank of his or her own choice.

So, Banks or Fund Managers have to come out with attractive packages to entice people to bring their money to them for safe investment, so as to store the principal whilst gaining payment of interest otherwise safe keeping. He or she, if so wish can opt to store the money at home if deemed safe or for reason best known to the individual. Hon Cecilia did not commit any crime if and only if the assets in the form of cash etc were acquired legitimately and tax paid on the money or revenue. However, for effective national economy growth, it is advisable to keep the money in circulation by banking it or investing it.

Why will one keep large sums of money at home and how to keep it very safe?

Folks, there are various genuine reasons which may make one to keep large sums of money at home. Firstly, depending on one’s expenses to meet one’s immediate expenditures, example politician on campaign trail, example the story of the female candidate who sprayed cash during the recent NDC’s Parliamentary Primaries tells it all. So, by rule of thumb, it is recommended that you should keep at home enough cash for at most three months, as stated the amount will be based on your normal monthly expenditure and depending on the prevailing situation, and your location, your status etc.

Secondly, from historical angle in Africa, it is advisable that if you should ensure to keep cash at home against period of emergencies, including escape from political persecution, likely freezing of observable assets especially Bank account etc. What happened during military take overs or even when there is change of regime between the NDC and NPP tells the security or political risk of politicians and associates of ruling Administration. Recently, one Mr Raymond Archer made a childish warning to the CEO of McDan Group to pray that the NPP remains in power forever as published in the Ghanaweb dated 23 July 2023 speaks volume of the wicked attitude of Ghanaians. We heard of how some businessmen like the late Henry Djaba etc or politicians have to abscond from the Country at an odd time or people escaping from conflict areas like what happened during the Liberia crisis. Hence, readily available cash or cash on hand is the answer to keep you alive or safe.

Thirdly, money handed over to you for a specific purpose in due course or with instructions or as exhibit, may certainly not be paid into your bank account or to the person’s account because it will lose its total value in the form of bank charges or you may encounter difficulty to retrieve or gain access to it. In 2016, we sure a video of a frustrated young lady, who was a mother of a baby, who was dragged out of the Bank by the Policeman on duty on the instruction of a member of the bank, simply for demanding access to her assets or cash.

Fellow Citizens, the Financial crisis in 2018 and the planned haircut of peoples’ investment in 2022 are enough to erode public confidence in the financial institutions, Hence, beside a man being greedy, any sensible person with cash will surely convert some of the cash into hard currency like the US Dollars or European Euro, British Pound etc and keeping safe money at home may be a sensible option from experiences. Some of us not on pension who decided to invest our cash or put some of our Cash in banks, currently, cannot buy common koko because and some people may tell us we the affected persons made bad choices or wrong Fund Managers.

Fourthly, cash obtained by illegal or dubious means; hence one has no other choice than to keep it at home and adopt other means like using it to buy a property like a house or expensive unregistered vehicles or indulge in gambling to win money and then bank it. These methods can then be used to define as the source of the money because sending it to the bank may cause the Bank to submit Huge Cash Transaction in Circulation Report thus trigger investigations by the Bank and or Financial Intelligence Unit.

Is it proper for Political Exposed or Public Policy Office holder to keep large sums of money at home?

Yes, first to meet emergencies as explained above including the facilitating of rapid absconding from political danger, to reduce suffering in case of freeing of assets etc and for campaign effort or the ability to influence a situation.

Furthermore, contributions from business persons for future support if one wins power or in lobbying efforts or thank you donations or kickbacks for a recent support or anonymous donations or donations from a foreigner or foreign Company , Illegal Miners in support of ones activities be it NGOs, funeral or Campaign efforts, may not go through banking process, since you may not be able to explain or in order to hide the identity of the persons, for example in 2016 or so we saw a video of a woman not even noted as very rich like Madame Patricia Poku Theresa, Ms Oppong Beeko, Ms Kate Quartey Papafio , Mrs Gifty Lamptey, or Mr Ibrahim Mahama, the CEO of Engineer and Planners or the CEO of McDan Group or the CEO of Jospong Group or CEO of Sikkens making some donation to then Presidential Candidate Nana Addo for his campaign effort. So you can imagine the size of the donation which any of the mentioned persons may donate if they wish or are to donate, such donations may not be paid at all into a bank account or may rather be used for investment cars, rent campaign offices etc

The issues of kickbacks or arrangers fees, financial or business engineering, or soli or what some say corrupts have come to stay, globally; a payment of 5 percent is accepted. We are told by the NDC that part of our economy woes was the excessive borrowing for a Company to gain arranger or book vendors fees. If we assembly all the Members of Parliament, our Church Leaders and Imams, traditional Chiefs, Political Party Leaders, current and past Presidents of Ghana and Minister, current and past IGPs before the deity Antoa Nyamah to confess they have never accepted or solicited for bribe, you may be shocked to see that none of them may throw a stone even a pebble or dust against Hon Cecilia if really she is found wanting. For fear of contempt let us leave the Justices of our Courts out on the trip to Antoa Nyamah.

Fellow Citizens, Kickbacks or alleged corrupt acts have stimulated some lucrative CSOs industries. The Gold for Oil Deal, which thankfully was/is well appreciated by His Excellency Ex-President Mahama but called for transparency was initially kicked against by some persons promoting the interest of Gold Exporting Companies who do not repatriate 100 percent of the exported gold revenue back to Ghana after exporting gold from Small Scale Miners.

Some of the Ghanaian businessmen who were in the exporting of gold as was initiated in 2016 after denying Precious Minerals Marketing Company her original business jurisdiction were fronting for foreigners who are banned in operation in the Small Scale Mining Sector. It is Biblical message that it is God who selects a Leader. So, if President Nana Addo with his Gold for Oil Deal etc is a ‘devil ‘ then by the Biblical message, logically it implies that then Presidential Candidate Nana Addo in 2016 and 2020 was the best of the ‘devils’ who took part in the elections. In 2024 God will give us the wisdom to select the better devils between the Presidential Candidates of the NPP and NDC. Currently His Excellency President John Mahama looks just a good ‘devil’ at hand.

How to keep sums of money very safe?
Money and other Attractive items must be kept out view and under strong lock and key. Due to fire or water risk through flood, the use of a very strong fire proof and water proof Safe with key lock and number lock to safe and secure cash or bullion etc is recommended. Based on the Ghanaian experience, It may be wiser to convert local currency into hard currency in order to store the value of the money.

Considerations or Lessons from the Cecilia Saga

Folks, Hon Cecelia Dapaah saga has afforded various Considerations or notifications or Lessons. It is very unfortunate that people who should know better or should be seeing to be providing an honest and professional education to the public especially people from the academia or legal brain are disappointing the Country. This once again revealed the lack of critical thinking or the need for Common sense approach continues to elude some of our educated persons otherwise they have joined the propaganda machinery. So one may wonder what some f the tutors are lecturing to their students since what they proclaimed to listeners with the whole world as their students was/is not the best.

From the narration from Hon Cecelia Dapaah to the Police and the side of Police or for the purpose of prosecuting in Court Hon Cecelia Dapaah is the Risk owner and may not necessary be the owner of the money or the items unless disclosed as such by her.

The rear owner is immaterial to the criminal investigation of theft by the maidservants or house helps with Hon Cecilia as the Complainant, since, she can provide sufficient evidence of the amount and other stolen items which are the basis for interrogating the suspects for at least the retrieval of same.

The lynching of her character without her disclosure of or the questioning her for the Source of the money was wrong, since she is just the risk owner at the material time of Police investigation hence Complainant who is the owner of the house or custodian of the items at the time of reporting to the Police, thus the immediate victim of the theft and not a suspect for the Police Investigation. The Source of the money must be treated as a separate investigation if the Police suspect wrong doing or by a separate appropriate Agency like the Special Prosecutor to ascertain any wrong doing or to clear for a job otherwise a different one.

Let me give a simple example. Abena owes a shop and she employed a guard or watchman to guard her shop after closing or when not available. The guard found that two identifiable shop attendants broke into the shop and absconded with only two TVs when he attempted to arrest him. By the nature of security job, the guard is the risk owner at the time of the theft, hence he must report the incident to the Police on what happened and it is he the guard who will appear as the Prosecuting Witness in Court and not Abena the exact owner of the Shop. Abena may appear in the Court room as an Audience if she so wishes.

Those who tried to be Cecelia’s spokespersons did not help her with their premature disclosures. Mr Paul Adom Otchere, the Chairman of the Airport Company, contribution of telling or suggesting the source of the money without it coming direct from Cecelia or her authorized spokesperson who is a family member with the credible facts, did not help her former Boss, Ex-Minister of Aviation.

It is possible that the President received substantial evidences from the Minister which may help exonerate her from the perceived wrong doing, but considering the state of affairs which may lead to investigation by Constitutional or Legislative or Statutory Bodies, the letter from the President should have just thanked her for her service and wish her the best in all her endeavours.