| News Home (Main Page) |  | | LATEST WORLD NEWS | | | | | NEWS ARCHIVE 2009 | | NEWS ARCHIVE 2008 | | NEWS ARCHIVE 2007 | | PHOTO REPORTS | | VIDEO REPORTS | | ARTS in GHANA | | Food & Drinks in Ghana |  | | Africa Cup 2008 | | Ghana Hotels | | Links / Websites | | Ghana Districts | | Ghana Tourism | | Ghana Adinkra | Names in Ghana | | | | * 03.05.2010 | I’ll Pay Money Back - MP * Source: Daily Guide | Barely 24 hours after he was threatened with remand for allegedly stealing $30,000 at an Accra Circuit Court, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sene in the Brong Ahafo Region, Felix Twumasi-Appiah, has started a process to refund the money.
This was confirmed by Joshua Nimako, counsel for the embattled MP and his alleged accomplice Juan Carlos, a Spanish national, when they returned to court for a continuation of the case which was disrupted by a fire outbreak at the Cocoa Affairs Court presided over by Judge D.E.K. Daketsey that there were new development in the case as efforts were being made by his client to settle the amount involved, adding that “by the next adjourned date, the matter would be put to rest.”
The accused persons have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime, stealing and defrauding by false pretences and their plea is yet to be taken. The prosecutor had argued that the suspects, including the MP, should be remanded so they would not interfere in the investigations.
ASP A. Derry, the prosecutor in the case, was of the opinion that in granting bail to the accused persons, the court should take into consideration the fact that Carlos was not a Ghanaian; so sufficient sureties should be provided by the accused person to ensure regular attendance in court.
He said if one aspect of the case was being settled, it did not mean the end of the case, since there were other aspects that were not brought up in court.
The trial Judge granted Carlos GH¢100,000 bail, with three sureties, while the MP was granted GH¢100,000 self-recognizance bail. Before Mr. Twumasi-Appiah was bailed, his counsel pleaded with the court to reconsider the bail condition and make it self-recognizance since he was an MP, and public figures were usually granted self-recognizance bail.
Another lawyer, who claimed to be a friend of the court, also prayed the court to make it self-recognizance as people like Tsatsu Tsikata among others were granted self-recognizance bail. The trial judge therefore agreed to do so. The accused person, who spotted a pink stripped shirt and blue black trousers, reported early but stayed quietly in an empty courtroom in the company of a friend till the case was called.
Court proceedings came to an abrupt end on Thursday, when there was a loud explosion in the adjourning courtroom, prompting the presiding judge, lawyers and other litigants in the court to run for safety.
Presenting the provisional facts of the case, the prosecutor told the court that the complainant, Juan Francisco Lozano is a Spanish businessman who was on a trip to Ghana to transact business while the first accused, Juan Carlos, is also a businessman and the second accused, the MP for Sene.
He said in March 2010, a certain Nana Kwame Donkor, another businessman, had a transaction with Mr. Lozano for his company to supply him with gold worth $160,000 in three tranches. However, after two supplies, Nana Donkor was unable to supply the third tranche of gold and therefore promised to refund the remaining money to the complainant.
According to the prosecutor, Nana Donkor contacted the MP to help in the transfer of the money back to the complainant in installments since it was not possible to transfer the amount in cash through the banks, and two blank cheques were signed and left for the suspects to facilitate the transfer.
The prosecutor said the money was to get to Spain through two persons who were called Ibrahim and Ishmael and when the complainant sent the money through the count of the two persons in Spain, they cashed it and bolted.
In addition, Nana Donkor paid $30,000 as part payment to the police for the money to be given to the complainant. Furthermore, the prosecutor said the MP got his alleged accomplice to go to the office of Unit Commander of the Commercial Crime Unit, Supt. Yaa Tiwaa Danso, where Carlos claimed that Mr. Lozano was sick and could not come to Ghana and had therefore instructed him to collect the money on his behalf.
He noted that it was only later after contacting Nana Donkor about the remaining money that the complainant was told that the money had been given to the police to be given back to him. Explaining further, he said Lozano contacted the police and was told the money had been sent to him through his friend Carlos. But he told the police that he had not directed anyone to collect the money for him. The case has been adjourned to May 18, 2010.
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| Latest Ghana News Monday, 03th May 2010 WEEK 18 - 2010 | * Monday, 03th May 2010 | Osafo-Maafo: NPP Should Learn From NDC * Source: Peacefmonline | | A former Minister of Finance and a member of Nana Akufo-Addo’s Victory2012 campaign team, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, has urged delegates of the New Patriotic Party to take one big lesson from the National Democratic Congress – unity for victory.
Speaking to delegates at Agona Nwkanta on the second day of Akufo-Addo’s Western Regional tour, Mr. Osafo-Maafo used the opportunity to plead with all the 115,000 delegates who will vote on August 7 for the 2012 NPP Presidential Candidate to vote massively for Nana Akufo-Addo “to send a clear message to the country that the NPP is not divided.”
Mr. Osafo-Maafo said “the unity of the NPP must be clear to everybody after all the votes are counted and the winner declared. August 7 is the ultimate test of the unity that you and I know exists within our party.” The NPP should not joke with this, he warned.
“If there’s one thing that we should learn from 2008 then it is that unity is the basis for victory. Any victory on August 7 that is not landslide would not help our party. We need to show with all our votes that the party is solidly behind Nana Akufo-Addo,” he said to large cheers from the Ahanta West constituency delegates.
“The NDC did so on December 21, 2006,” Mr Osafo-Maafo pointed to a recent experience from their arch rivals from which his party should, nevertheless, learn.
“There were four people competing, including the younger and taller Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Eddie Annan and Mahama Iddrisu. Prof. Mills got 1,362 out of the 1,673 valid votes cast.”
Unlike in 2007 when 17 people contested, not more than 5 candidates will be on the NPP ballot paper on August 7, offering the party a platform for a massive endorsement of the winner.
Having caught the fullest attention of the NPP delegates gathered, Mr Osafo-Maafo continued, “81.4% of NDC delegates voted for Prof Mills. His closes rival, Dr. Spio-Garbrah managed only 146 votes, 8.7%.”
It is recalled that leading to the 2006 NDC primary, media reports gave the impression that it was going to be a close contest between the two frontrunners with some even calling it for Dr. Spio-Garbrah.
Mr Osafo-Maafo reminded NPP delegates that all this happened after the problems of the previous year which saw the former NDC National Chairman, Dr. Obed Asamaoh and others, splitting from the NDC to form the Democratic Front Party.
“The 81.4% endorsement gave Mills the unified force and the moral authority with which to mobilise the NDC to fight the ruling NPP for victory in 2008. He showed that his party was solidly behind him then and we all saw the ruthless and painful effect of that in December 2008,” Mr Osafo-Maafo recalled.
“On August 7 let us send an even clearer message to the whole of Ghana that the NPP is indeed a united force, ready and deserving of power to serve the people of Ghana.”
He added, “A massive vote for Nana Akufo-Addo on August 7 will silent our critics, motivate our supporters and make us more attractive to undecided voters,” he said.
The former Finance Minister, who contested in the 2007 NPP presidential primary, gave first-hand testimony that Akufo-Addo is the candidate NPP delegates know they can trust on the important issue of unity.
“Nana has shown with consistency clear evidence from 1992 about his commitment and loyalty to party unity. He does not just talk the talk he walks the desire, too,” Mr. Osafo-Maafo stressed.
He said further, Akufo-Addo came second to Mr. J A Kufuor in 1998 but got solidly behind Kufuor, went around the country pleading with his supporters to do the same and campaigned with Mr. Kufuor for that famous victory in 2000.
Again, Akufo-Addo more than showed in 2008 that he is committed to the party’s unity by inviting all the 16 people who competed against him to be part of his campaign committee. A move which some have even criticised him for.
Earlier in the Western Region, NPP MPs continued with their wholesale endorsement of Nana Akufo-Addo.
Paapa Owusu-Ankomah, MP for Sekondi, former presidential aspirant in 2007 and former Attorney-General gave his unflinching support to Akufo-Addo and asked his constituency delegates to do the same.
The MP for Amenfi East and former Western Regional Minister, Boahen Aidoo also endorsed Nana Akufo-Addo and has been travelling with Nana Akufo-Addo urging all constituencies to support the 2008 flagbearer, who is now nicknamed, Nana Ababio, for coming again to ask for their votes for another shot at the presidency.
The Victory2012 team left Ahanta West for Effia Kwesimintsim, Essikado Ketan and Tarkoradi. | | > BACK to TOP < | Ras Mubarak Makes U -Turn * Source: Daily Guide | Ras Mubarak, an uncharitable critic of the President Mills administration, on Thursday morning, shocked radio listeners in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, when he unexpectedly heaped tongues of praise on the ruling government.
Uncharacteristically, the failed NDC national youth organizer, who was a special guest on Kessben FM’s morning show on Thursday, exalted the governance style of the former law lecturer.
Typically of a person who has been enticed to carry out a calculated public relations gimmick for the government, Ras Mubarak said what has given him the indication that the government is doing well, was its determination to begin the construction of decent accommodation for the country’s security agencies.
Ras Mubarak also mentioned the implementation of the free school uniform and exercise books to students in deprived communities, as some of the initiatives that gives ample testimony that the government was on track.
Still singing the praise of the President Mills government, the NDC leading youth activist, who is said to be loyal to ex-President Rawlings, emphatically stated that President Mills will win the 2012 elections, hands down.
“Due to the good works of the President Mills government, which has won the trust of the good people of this country, the NDC will retain power in the next polls,” Ras Mubarak emphasized.
He argued profusely that the President Mills government has genuine problems confronting it, hence its failure to deliver some of its campaign promises, stressing that the government will fulfill all the promises before the end of its mandate.
Continuing, the vociferous NDC youth activist justified the tax increases which has become a common feature in the President Mills government, asking Ghanaians to bear with the government, saying “Ghanaians should accept the fact that the country cannot be developed to the required standard without them agreeing to pay taxes.”
The host of the programme, who was shocked by the turn of events, asked Ras Mubarak whether he felt remorse for his past behaviour, hence his praise of the government. The NDC youth activist however responded in the negative, saying his criticisms were taken out of context.
“No, I have not felt any remorse for my past criticisms of the government, just that people took my comments out of context. What I was doing was just to put the government on its toes, and now I think that things have started going well,” he explained.
Since he failed to win the NDC national youth organizer position, Ras Mubarak decided to become a thorn in the flesh of the President Mills government, denigrating the administration to the point of emphasizing that the government has failed Ghanaians and that the NDC will lose the election because it will not have anything to tell the people when it is time for campaigning. | | > BACK to TOP < | Prison Break: 3 More Arrested, 4 On The Run * Source: Citifmonline | Police in the Western Region have recaptured four of the eight hardened criminals who broke jail on Sunday, May 2 at the Sekondi Central Prisons.
One was arrested yesterday at Ketan near Sekondi whilst the other three were arrested on Monday morning at Beposo. The other four are still on the run.
The prisoners are alleged to have in their possession three AK 47 rifles they stole from the prisons armoury. They had earlier stolen eight guns but left five of them in a stolen car following a hot chase by the police and military team.
Narrating the incident to Citi News, the Western Regional Police Commander DCOP Alhaji Mahama Hamidu said the prisoners took advantage of a visitor who had come to offer food to an inmate and attacked the prison officers on duty, broke into the armoury and escaped.
He said the prisoners overpowered the prison officers after firing gunshots and giving them severe beatings. One of the prison officers was stabbed whilst another sustained a gunshot wound. However, both officers are said to be in stable conditions.
One batch of the absconders were sentenced two weeks ago to one hundred and twenty years for robbing a cocoa purchasing clerk at Gwira Banso in October last year, whilst the other group is made up of Fulani herdsmen convicted for armed robbery.
According to DCOP Hamidu, the escapees are hardened criminals but added that a police cum military team, are tirelessly searching every nook and cranny of the metropolis to recapture them.
Further information gathered by the Daily Guide News Paper indicates that when the prisoners broke jail, they attacked an immobile ‘‘trotro’’ carrying passengers in front of the yard.
The prisoners shot the driver in the arm and ordered the passengers out and sped off with the car. The ‘‘trotro’’ driver is also said to be responding to treatment at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi.
In an interview with Moro Awudu on Citi FM’s Breakfast Show on Monday May 2, the Western Regional Police Commander disclosed that two out of the three arrested this morning were part of the cocoa robbery incident jailed 120 years whilst the third is part of the Fulani group jailed sixty years for robbery.
According to DCOP Mahama, the incident is the first of its kind at the Sekondi Central Prisons and noted that stringent measures will be put in place to ensure that it does not recur.
In this regard, he said there was going to be a meeting between the police and the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) to assess the situation and put in place pragmatic measures.
He denied reports that the visitor whose appointment led to the jail break was an armed robber in disguise.
The jail breakers would be put before court again for attempting to escape. | > BACK to TOP < | Catholic Church 'Shit-Bombed' Over Palmer-Buckle's Policies * Source: Daily Guide | Members of the Martyrs of Uganda Catholic Church at Mamprobi in Accra on Sunday, May 02 received a rude shock when they turned up for worship only to find the sanctity of their church desecrated with human excreta and offensive posters by unknown persons.
The act was said to have been carried out at 3am in protest against some policies and demands of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Reverend Charles Palmer-Buckle, who was expected at the church for a confirmation service.
The first church service which was to begin at 7am was delayed, as the members had to wait for the mess and the strong stench which filled the air to be cleansed. The service eventually took place without any incident.
When the area was tided up, normal service was held and the Archbishop Palmer-Buckle was on hand for the confirmation which was done during the second service.
In his sermon, the Archbishop made a brief reference to the incident and promised that the issue would be dealt with by the Parish Pastoral Council.
Some of the inscriptions on the walls of the church had read, “Your Grace, your transfer to Accra is the greatest mistake of the faithful in Accra”, “Palmer-Buckle, if you want more money, then (sic) sell your $2,000,000 Trasaco Mansion. Oooh! Wa na money”, “Palmer-Buckle, You are here at your own risk – Person Non Grata”, “Our Parish was far better before Ashitei Rasta came in. But today we are worse off”, Papa Ajasco (JB) and Awilo Sharsharp (Matthew) must go”, If grey hair shows wisdom, there would not be CIBT (Tantra Hill)”, and “your CIBT was/is a waste of our widow’s mite”.
The CIBT refers to the Catholic Institute of Business and Technology at Tantra Hill which some church members have cited as a waste of the church’s funds.
Police officers armed with batons were seen patrolling the church premises and one of them who spoke to the Daily Graphic said they had been detailed to keep peace and order because of what had happened earlier in the day.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the church’s security man, who gave his name as Baba, said he had heard some noise at the main entrance, only to realize that the gate had been locked with a padlock from outside, with the place smelling of human excreta when he arrived at the gate. “When I moved to the next gate to check on it and inform the Parish Priest, I realized that the entrance to the auditorium had also been smeared with faeces,” Baba said.
He said he informed the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr John Ashitei Boye, who directed him to break the lock, adding, “I had to jump over the wall to do that.” | > BACK to TOP < |
_____________________________________________________ ----- | | | Monday, 03th May 2010 | Osafo-Maafo: NPP Should Learn From NDC Ras Mubarak Makes U -Turn Prison Break: 3 More Arrested, 4 On The Run Catholic Church 'Shit-Bombed' Over Palmer-Buckle's Policies Benyiwa Doe Condemns Youth Violence I’ll Pay Money Back - MP | Your Opinions | Have Your Say!
| Archived News for 2010 | Go to 02.05.2010 | 
| All about the Ghana Election 2008 | | | | * Monday, 03th May 2010 | Benyiwa Doe Condemns Youth Violence * Source: GNA | Central Regional Minister Ama Benyiwa Doe has expressed worry about the behaviour being put up by some youth, saying youthful exuberance is being misdirected.
She said the confrontational and violent stance of the youth, both at political and social fronts, in recent times does not augur well for the development of the Central Region and the nation at large. Madam Benyiwa Doe said this when she went to the University of Cape Coast to find out the cause of the confrontation between students of two halls of residence- Caseley Hayford and Atlantic.
She advised students of the university to serve as role models for the youth in the university's catchments area. The Minister also appealed to parents not to shirk their guidance, counseling and disciplinary responsibilities in their quest to acquire wealth. “Neglect of parental guidance and care has greatly contributed to the current state of affairs,” she said.
Madam Benyiwa Doe expressed hope that the university authorities would handle the situation with diligence to forestall future occurrence.
The Registrar of the university, Isaac Ohene, told the Minister that the three students who were injured had been discharged from hospital and three others arrested are assisting the police in their investigations.
Last Sunday, some students of the Casford and Atlantic halls clashed during a procession. This led to some students getting injured and university properties destroyed.
Madam Benyiwa-Doe also visited the Kotoka Market near the Kotokuraba Market where she inspected some stores and wooden structures that got burnt last Sunday night.
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