Nana Akwasi Essan II, late brother of embattled former sanitation minister, Cecilia Dapaah, was living a fairly normal life with his family, neighbours at Bantama, where he lived and worked have testified.

About a dozen of the neighbours largely insist, however, that the late shoe manufacturer despite having a big workshop and about 10 workers could not have saved as much as US$800,000 let alone bequeath same to his sister.

The late chief's name became topical in the theft of a million dollars from the Accra home of the former minister by two former house helps.

Journalist Paul Adom-Otchere was the first to allege that Ms. Dapaah had told him that one-eighth of the stolen dollars belonged to her brother, who handed it over to their late mother, from whose custody it was handed to her.

Speaking to Kumasi-based Oyerepa TV on the issue at a bar adjacent Nana Akwasi Essan's home and workshop in Bantama, neighbours said the amount being quoted was too much and he could not have had such an amount.

Referring to the gatherings as 'Bantama Parliament,' journalist Kwesi Parker-Wilson asked each respondent why they thought the late chief could not own such volume of funds.

"Well, even though he was not needy, I don't think he could have had that much money in his account, it did not in any way show in his lifestyle and or his going and coming," one said.

Another wondered how feasible it was to do the kind of business he did and still have US$800,000 in savings.

"Maybe it was Cecilia Dapaah who loaned him the amount and he was paying it back, because the Nana Talou I know, cannot have that amount," he stressed.



Ms. Dapaah who is currently under criminal investigations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor is a one-time Member of Parliament for Bantama.

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