Two house helps for Cecilia Abena Dapaah and her husband Daniel Osei Kuffour are indicted by an Accra Circuit Court on charges of stealing money and property worth millions of Ghana Cedis.
The suspects, Patience Botwe, 18, and Sarah Agyei, 30, have been charged with five charges of theft and conspiracy to commit a felony.
Between July and October 2022, alleged thefts took place.
The house helps are accused of stealing personal items from Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah during this time, including a variety of garments costing GH95,000, as well as handbags, perfumes, and jewelry worth US$95,000, from her.
Ms. Botwe is additionally charged with stealing six pieces of Kente fabric worth GH 90 000 and six sets of men’s clothes costing US $ 3 000 from the minister’s husband.
Three additional people—her father, her current and former boyfriends, and Ms. Botwe—are also accused of participating in the crime and are being prosecuted. They are each accused of receiving GH50,000, GH180,000, and GH1,000,000 dishonestly.
The money and things were taken from Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah and her husband’s bedroom at their home, according to court documents, and they belonged to them.
The accused individuals were arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Susana Ekuful, on Thursday, July 20, 2023. However, their pleas have not been taken yet.
Sarah Agyei was granted bail in the amount of GH1 million with two sureties by the court. The sureties must leave their Ghanaian identification cards with the court’s registrar. Since Susana Ekuful was acting as a relief judge, the bail conditions are up for review by the substantive judge.
On the other hand, Ms. Botwe has been remanded into legal custody together with her purported boyfriends and father.
After realizing that money and other items were stolen, the complainants called the police and filed a theft report. Ms. Botwe was arrested after being exposed for breaking into the couple’s room with a spare key.
Further investigations showed that Patience had hidden the stolen money and used it to buy homes and pricey stuff, maybe with the assistance of her suspected accomplice Sarah.
The case is continued by the court in order to decide what will happen to those who are accused on August 2, 2023.
The complainants, Daniel Osei Kuffour and his wife, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, employed Ms. Botwe, also known as Maabena, as a house help, according to the modified charge sheet and the brief facts that were presented in court.
The complainants’ former house help, Ms. Agyei, was also disclosed to the court. After discovering the theft of cash and other personal belongings, the complainants informed the police of the incident in June of this year.
Ms. Botwe was observed using a duplicate key to enter the couple’s room.
Mr. Kuffour opened the room and spotted Ms. Botwe hiding behind the door.
The complainants discovered some of their belongings were missing after the incident.
After being detained and granted police investigation bail, Ms. Botwe fled to Tamale with her lover, Benjamin.
They allegedly rented a business and a three-bedroom apartment when they were in Tamale.
After receiving information, the police detained Ms. Botwe, which allowed them to recover US$40,000 and GH72,619.70 from their flat.
Ms. Botwe is accused of using the stolen funds to purchase, among other things, a three-bedroom home, a double-decker refrigerator, a water dispenser, a television, a washing machine, and a chest cooler.
She also bought Benjamin a Hyundai Elantra, which he later sold in order to buy a Honda Civic.
Additionally, Ms. Botwe gifted her ex-boyfriend Malik GH1 million and her father GH50,000.
Ms. Botwe said Sarah was her accomplice during questioning.
The trial is scheduled to resume on August 2, 2023.
