Ghana TV News, 26.07.2010 | | | | News of Tuesday, 27 July 2010 Parliament goes into close door sitting * Source: GNA | Accra July 27, GNA -Parliament on Tuesday went into a close door sitting an hour after business of the day started to consider two loan agreements for the Ministry of Defence.
The first loan agreement is between the government of Ghana and Fr Lurssen Werft GmbH & Co. KG of Germany for $ 37,867,500.
When approved it will be used for the purchase and refurbishment of two former German Navy Fast Attack Craft Type S143, setting-to-work of the ships, supply of equipment, inventory and spares, training of crews and the transportation of the ships to Ghana.
The second loan is Buyer's Credit agreement between the government of Ghana and the Poly Technologies Inc. of Beijing China for an amount of $ 100,000,000.00.
It will be used for the procurement of strategic equipment to re-equip the Ghana Armed Army and the Ghana Air Force and also improve barracks accommodation for the soldiers. | Ex-Minister In US$86,500 Fraud Case * Source: The Herald Newspaper | By Larry-Alans Dogbey & Kingsley Dogbey
An Accra Circuit Court, presided over by His Lordship, C.A. Wilson, has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of a 30-year-old woman, Gertrude Fitnat Selasi Bedzo, who claims to be a mistress of Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Ekumfi with whom she has a secret daughter, for defrauding a Holland-based Ghanaian the sum of US$86,500 under the pretext of securing him confiscated cars.
Ms. Bedzo has absconded on a passport bearing the name Stella Ferguson to Canada, where their 9-year-old girl is. This was after she was busted by the Teshie Police over the incident, but was granted bail upon persistent pressure from the ex-Minister for Ports and Harbours, Prof. Ameyaw-Ekumfi whose luxurious car the suspect was driving at the time of her arrest.
Impeccable sources within the police administration disclosed to The Herald that they are in the process of putting her details out and also tasking the Interpol officials in Canada, to arrest and deport her to Ghana to face criminal charges.
Ms. Bedzo, who had also claimed to be a final year student of McMaster University, Canada, falsely introduced herself to her victim, one Kojo Amoakohene, as an agent of America’s Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and collected the US$86,500, with a promise to use her influence as an FBI agent to procure confiscated cars for him. She then went into hiding and later sneaked out of Ghana.
Both the victim and the Teshie Police have confirmed the incident to The Herald, but Mr. Joe Boateng, an emissary who was sent by Prof. Ameyaw-Ekumfi to bail his concubine insists he would have to seek the ex-Minister’s permission before divulging details of the incident.
He, however, confirmed that the ex-minister asked him to stand surety for the lady in question.
All four phone lines of the ex-minister who is also a Member of Parliament for Techiman North Constituency, were off when it was dialed on many occasions. Ms. Bedzo’s mom, who claims she was receiving medical attention in Hohoe in the Volta Region, was also tightlipped on her daughter, when The Herald reached her.
According to the prosecutor, ASP Blagodzi, the victim met the suspect at the Oops Night Club – Accra in 2008, with two female foreigners, whom she claimed were also FBI agents assigned to Ghana to intercept smuggled cars in the country, and also track down narcotic drugs on their way to the US.
The ex-Minister’s girlfriend, told her victim that the FBI usually sell the confiscated cars to its staff at reduced prices and that she was going to use her connections to buy some for him.
ASP Blagodzi told the court that Mr. Amoakohene became convinced when during one of their meetings, he observed some ammunition, including a pistol, on the suspect which she claimed were being used as protection on their assignment.
He consequently, parted with US $34,500 for a Range Rover car, which the suspect claimed was available for sale.
Mr. Amoakohene, according to the prosecutor, further instructed his brother-in-law, Mr. Ransford Neewhang, a Canada-based Ghanaian and Dietician, to part with US$25,000 and an additional US$27,000 for an X5 BMW and Audi Q7 respectively, when the suspect met with Mr. Neewhang in Canada.
ASP Blagodzi said after receiving the money totaling US$86,500, Ms. Bedzo started playing hide and seek but later left the country with all attempts to get her proving futile.
Luck however eluded her on February 20 this year, when she was spotted by her victim in a blue Lexus G8 saloon car with registration number GR 505 Z with a Member of Parliament’s sticker on it at East Legon – Accra.
The assistance of two uniformed policemen passing by was quickly sought and she was apprehended and later handed over to the Teshie police.
Preliminary investigation conducted by the police revealed the car she was driving indeed, belonged to Prof Ameyaw-Akumfi.
The suspect under interrogation disclosed that she was the minister’s lover; that he gave her his car for her rounds, and that she has a baby girl with the ex-Minister. She placed many phones calls to the ex-minister many times in the custody of the police.
Interestingly, whilst the police were making arrangements to put her before court, one Joe Boateng stormed the station and said he has the strict orders of the ex-minister to stand surety for Ms. Bedzo. She was made to deposit her two passports; a Ghanaian one and Canadian one to prevent her from fleeing the country.
On February 24, 2010 Joe Boateng again stormed the police station in the company of the victim, Ms. Bedzo and one ACP Acheampong, said to be a former Transport Officer at the Police Headquarters where an agreement was reached to have the US$86,500, refunded within a month.
The ex-minister did not show his face but brooked the deal using his mobile phone.
Shockingly, however, the Teshie Police were shortly served with summons from the Fast Track High Court Human Rights Division, ordering the release of her two passports; that’s a Ghanaian passport with ID number HO 470805 issued on February 14, 2000 and a Canadian one with ID number JQ 435839 issued on November 23 2006.
The passports were subsequently handed over to Director Police Intelligence and Professional Standard (PIPS) at the Police Headquarters, but Ms. Bedzo did not go for them but fled the country with the name Stella Ferguson.
The time set for the money to be refunded elapsed and the police ordered Mr. Joe Boateng, surety, to produce her in court on April 29, 2010, but she could not be traced and after series of adjournments, the court issued the bench warrant on June 9, for her arrest.
Mr. Joe Boateng, who had told the police that he knows nothing about the lady and that he only stood surety on the orders of the Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi, is in deep trouble currently.
In court last Thursday, July 22, 2010, he was given August 12, the next sitting date to produce the alleged fraudster or face the full rigours of the law. | News of Monday, 26 July 2010 Government institutes national marketing strategy for tourism sector * Source: GNA | Accra, July 26, GNA - The President Atta-Mills led administration is putting in place a national marketing goal for the tourism sector since it is critical to the realisation of the Better Ghana Agenda, Mr. John Tia Akologu, Minister of Information, said on Monday.
He said the tourism sector could potentially grow more rapidly with improvement to the regulations and by creating an enabling environment, mentioning that the sector generated 1.6 billion dollars into the nation's foreign exchange purse in 2009.
Mr. Akologu, who read a speech on behalf of President John Evans Atta-Mills, at the opening session of the First International Tourism Investment Forum said the strategic geographical location of Ghana, a country closest to the centre of the world, with excellent maritime and air transport access to the global market, made it a strategic transport hub for West Africa.
The International Tourism Investment Forum organised by the Ministry of Tourism with support from the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre aims at attracting more investors to the Tourism Industry in Ghana.
The forum under the theme: "Ghana-Time to Explore: the Role of the Investor in the Tourism Sector", attracted hundreds of people whose businesses relate to the industry.
Mr. Akologu said: "The democratic credentials of the country have obviously put Ghana in the tourism limelight and this makes the theme for the forum very realistic".
Emphasising the importance of the tourism sector to the economic growth of the country, the Information Minister said the sector continued to be one of the most important and fastest growing industries of the Ghanaian economy competing with other sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, construction and transport.
"It is a sector that has a potential to stimulate investment and growth in many other sectors," he stressed.
Referring to a hotel survey conducted in Ghana, Mr. Akologu said business tourists activities in Accra constituted over half of international tourist arrivals and noted that business and conference tourism in Accra could be much larger than it was currently.
"Business tourism is not inherently pro-poor", he said and added that there was always an important transfer of resources from the tourists to the poor in the community.
Requesting the investor community to pay attention to Ghana, Mr. Akologu said Ghana Investment Promotion Centre's Legislative Instrument sought to provide a generous incentive and tax holidays for private investors.
He therefore called on potential investors to consider venturing into the provision of hotel accommodation, construction of cable car facilities along the mountain ranges, operation of luxury coaches and domestic flights among other opportunities.
Mrs. Sabah Zita Okaikoi, Minister of Tourism, said the forum provided a good platform to begin the journey of exploring the untapped and diverse tourism investment opportunities in Ghana.
She said financiers and investors had a wide range of options to choose from and said the tourism sector and Ghana as a whole were all ready for an investment boom.
"It is worth mentioning that the future prospects for the tourism industry in Ghana are very promising despite the challenges of inadequate funding that the tourism sector faces," she added.
Mrs. Okaikoi announced the introduction of a Tourism Bill currently before Cabinet to promote the needed linkages between tourism legislation and other related laws and to remove bottlenecks in the industry.
"We believe that the bill would ensure that the tourism sector becomes compatible with modern tourism practices world-wide backed by needed funds", the Tourism Minister said.
Mr. George Aboagye, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, remarked that the improved macro-economic environment, political stability, the peace and security that we enjoyed as a country had repositioned Ghana as an attractive tourism destination.
Mr. George Ntim, Founder of First Hospitality Group in the United States of America, speaking on the topic: "Current Challenges, new ideas and future direction for the Tourism Industry", said there was the need for more branded hotels in the country.
He advised hotel owners to market and brand their facilities online to attract more clients.
Mr. Ntim emphasised the need for systematic and regular training for people working in the hospitality industry and urged staff in the industry to respect everybody that entered their facility.
"Respect is a basic hospitality rule", he stressed. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
_____________________________________________________ ----- | News of Tuesday, 27 July 2010 - Parliament goes into close door sitting - Ex-Minister In US$86,500 Fraud Case | News of Monday, 26 July 2010 - Government institutes national marketing strategy for tourism sector - Education Ministry asked to provide funds for research into Ghanaian languages - Alarm blows over FPSO Kwame Nkrumah Contract | _________________________________ | Education Ministry asked to provide funds for research into Ghanaian languages * Source: GNA | Winneba, (C/R) July 26, GNA - The Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Professor Mawutor Avoke, has appealed to the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service, to provide support for intensive research into Ghanaian Languages.
He said this should include funding for publications of manuscripts that have been produced by the Departments of Ghanaian Languages in the country particularly in the one at the UEW.
Pro Avoke made the appeal at the opening of a two-week Summer School Workshop on documentary linguistics at Winneba.
It is being organized by Professor Felix Ameko of the University of Leiden, Netherlands, with sponsorship from Endangered Languages Documentation Project (ELDP) and Arcadia Foundation, London, United Kingdom.
Thirty participants from Nigeria, Benin, Gambia, Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States of America (USA), Burkina Faso, Ghana and Australia are attending the workshop.
It is aimed at helping participants to acquire linguistic skills for proper documentation and preservation of endangered languages for use in their respective countries and communities.
Prof Avoke said many languages in the country and other parts of the world are seriously endangered and if care was not taken, they were likely to lose their values and cultures.
The workshop is not only concentrating on linguistic skills for documentation, but would go further to specifically dialogue on some of the most threatened languages in the society, said Prof. Avoke.
He therefore appealed to participants to take the workshop serious, to enable them acquire the skills to promotion research, particularly in Africa languages. | Alarm blows over FPSO Kwame Nkrumah Contract * Source: The New Crusading Guide | Tsikata ‘grabs’ $5m deal
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank (WB) are investigating the role purportedly played by Strategic Oil and Gas Resources Ltd. (SOG), a company 50% owned by Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata, former Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), in the award of the FPSO contract by Tullow to MODEC in July 2008.
Highly-placed sources at the IFC and the World Bank have intimated to the Business Intelligence Desk (BID) of The New Crusading Guide that upon MODEC's belated disclosure to the IFC/WB of the award of an advisory services contract worth $5m to Tsatsu Tsikata's SOG company, the two institutions, apparently not happy with the belated disclosure and curious to know what role SOG had played prior to winning the contact, have decided to conduct "due diligence on the contract focusing on the nature of the services provided and the basis of the award of the contract".
MODEC's belated disclosure which was done on July 13, 2010, two clear years after the award of the contract to SOG, also indicated that MODEC (MV21) had already paid US$2million to SOG and a further US$3million was slated to be paid to it at first oil production (possibly November this year). The IFC, World Bank and the other shareholders including the Jubilee Partners, according to our IFC/WB sources, were all awaiting sight of the contract as at July 13,2010, the day of the MODEC disclosure of its (contract's) existence.
"Additionally IFC would like to do due diligence on the Jubilee Partner's award of the FPSO contract to MODEC focusing on how involved GNPC were in the decision to award to MODEC; What were the grounds of the decision to award to MODEC; And also, IFC would like to understand how much influence Tsatsu Tsikata had on enabling MODEC obtain a competitive advantage", disclosed a top official of IFC who spoke to our BID on condition of strict confidentiality.
The IFC top official further revealed that the signing of MODEC's Financing Deal (Loan Agreement & Shareholders Agreement) for the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah, which was slated for July 15, 2010, had had to be postponed at the request of the IFC, in order to enable the latter (IFC) complete its investigations into the award of the $5m Advisory Services contract to Tsatsu Tsikata's SOG in June/July 2008 during Mr. Kufuor's Administration.
"If the IFC and the World Bank find any wrongdoing in the award of the FPSO contract, they will pull their funding which is likely to lead to the other banks doing the same. And if that happens, the best outcome is that the partners would have to do an Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) instead of a lease contract which adds US$1 billion to the cost of the jubilee project", underscored a senior official of one of the Jubilee Partners who requested anonymity.
"In the worst case scenario, what could happen is that the partners under the terms of the contract with MODEC, may exercise the option to end the contract and the FPSO will then have to leave Ghana and the project will be delayed with no first oil for at least two years if a new vessel has to be built", he warned.
An Oil Industry Insider who is closely associated with the GNPC, explained that “the fact that the Advisory Services contract between MODEC and Tsatsu Tsikata's SOG was signed just two weeks before the award of the main contract (construction of FPSO) by Tullow to MODEC in July 2008 is the basis why the shareholders led by the IFC, consider the timing suspicious. [This is] for two reasons."
"Firstly, because it occurred just before the contract award in July 2008, and secondly because at that time Tsatsu Tsikata was in jail. Also the agreement was the last document to be provided to the banks by MODEC during the bank due diligence process. This is again suspicious. The IFC and World Bank are currently investigating whether the contract was awarded in a fair and transparent manner and whether SOG had any influence in it. If they did this is not good. If they didn't then why (for what services) was so much money paid to SOG?", he queried.
The Oil Industry Insider also indicated that the IFC and World Bank, the major Jubilee Partners, Kosmos, Anadarko and Tullow were all reviewing the situation from a US FCPA and UK Bribery Act Standpoint, and that because of the delicate nature and impact of the matter, the Jubilee Partners do not want the issue to become public at this time.
The IFC and World Bank, our source further intimated, are also trying to find out who, apart from Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, owns the other 50% of SOG which is a company incorporated and existing under the laws of British Virgin Islands, having its registered office at The Mill Mall, P.O. Box 92, Wickhams, CAY I, Roadtown, Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
Our Business Intelligence Desk (BID’s) tracking the US$ 2m payment already effected to SOG showed that the first installment of $750,000 was paid on march 31, 2009; the second installment of $750,000 on July 24,2009 (a week after the jubilee field's plan of development (POD) was launched)and the third installment of $500,000 on April 30,2010 (the day Ghana’s First Lady, Mrs. Naadu Mills was commissioning the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah in far-away Singapore).
Meanwhile, a top GNPC official who spoke to our BID, on condition of strict anonymity rationalized that it was not strange for a company belonging to a person or a businessman in jail, to bid and win contracts in a competitive and transparent environment, and speculated that could have been what had happened in Mr. Tsikata's case with the Advisory Services Contract awarded to his Company in June 2008 while he was in jail.
"Yes, it is worth noting that Tsikata's company purportedly won the contract at a time the government of the day was perceived as being unfriendly to him; indeed at a time when he had been tried in the courts and had been sentenced and convicted; and at a time those in charge of the Ministry of Energy and GNPC were perceived as hostile to his interest. That his company in spite of all the heat and hurdles, could win a contract was remarkable, and perhaps, a testimony to the fairness and transparency of that period in terms of the jubilee oil field business", reflected the top GNPC official who however conceded he only got to know of SOG's operations/activities in the Jubilee Field in particular and the emergent Ghanaian oil industry in general, after the exit of the Kufuor Administration in 2001; two and half years after SOG had won the MODEC-Advisory Services Contract in June 2008.
"Perhaps, it is this situation that has raised eye brows and fueled a climate of suspicion of some irregularity. Let's all await the outcome of the IFC/WB due diligence before drawing or making definitive conclusions on the matter", he added. | Your Opinions | Have Your Say!
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