Cecilia Dapaah's case: View of law enforcement officer
Section 124 of Criminal Offences Act of 1960 defines Stealing as dishonest appropriation of a thing of which you are not the owner.
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From the above definition, criminal investigators are required to establish the following: appropriation, dishonesty, and ownership of the stolen article vested in another person.
In the ongoing case of Cecilia Dapaah, the law requires the police to establish that the suspects dishonestly appropriated money and properties, which didn't belong to them.
The law does not require the police to prove that the stolen money belongs to Cecilia Dapaah.
The law does not also require the police to prove the value or quantum of money stolen.
The police didn't have to investigate how she got or made that money.
It is a standard requirement for all persons in every investigation into stealing.
The person from whom anything is stolen is immaterial in a case of stealing investigated by the police.
The stature of a complainant in a stealing case is without any consequence to police investigators.
However, the police suspicion should be heightened in this case because the complainant is a minister and senior public official.
The police having realised that should have immediately communicated that to the government.
As a standard practice, all police stations in the country are supposed to send crimes reported within the previous 24 hours to the regional police headquarters.
The regional police vets the reports and inform the administration of the most serious crimes.
These are brought to the attention of the government.
The Cecilia Dapaah case is without any doubt, a case of interest.
The police have to capture such a case in the Weekly Reports they submit to government.
These Reports inform the government about the crime situation in the county to guide in policy.
Furthermore, after the police establish evidence and decide to go to court, they have to inform the Attorney General, giving the fact that the complainant is a minister, and the amount involved.
Kwabena Otuo Acheampong,
Law Enforcement Officer.