Former Chief Executive Officer of defunct Capital Bank, Ato Essien has been given a grace period up to July 4 to redeem his financial obligations under a plea deal he entered with the state.

The Attorney General was expected to move an application on whether Ato Essien should be jailed for not paying GH¢20 million he was expected to pay by April 28, 2023.

But before the state could do that, the presiding judge, Justice Eric Kyei Baffour noted that he is inclined to adjourn the case considering some claims in the convict’s affidavit in opposition

According to the Judge, Ato Essien has outlined how he plans to liquidate some properties to raise over $300,000 to settle the amount.

The state which was not opposed to the stance of the Judge only notified the court that the amount promised is not substantial to settle the outstanding amount of GH¢55 million.

The Judge then adjourned the case to June 4 with the consent of the parties and urged Ato Essien to go according to what he has committed to in his affidavit if he truly cares about his freedom.

Credit: citinewsroom

An Accra Circuit Court has remanded into police custody a 40-year-old tile setter for insulting President of the republic of Ghana Nana Akuffo-Addo.

Raphael Okoe Ankrah, also known as Okoe Killer was arrested after police saw a video posted to social media showing the accused using very unsavoury words on the President.

He has since pleaded not guilty to offensive conduct conducive to breaches of the peace.

The Court presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah, ordered that Ankrah be brought back on May 30, 2023.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Maxwell Oppong told the Court that Ankrah lived in Jamestown.

He said on May 15, 2023, the Police saw a viral video in which the Ankrah was seen insulting the President.

ASP Oppong said the police had to arrest Ankrah because the video was not only vile but had annoyed and agitated the public.

The Police’s Intelligence Directorate tracked Ankrah and arrested him at his hideout at James Town in Accra.

The prosecution said Ankrah admitted the offence in his investigation cautioned statement and was accordingly charged.

Mr Yaw Dankwa, Ankrah’s Defense Counsel who prayed for bail for the accused, said the charge did not support the facts, which he said was political, because his client denied the offence upon his arrest.

He suggested that the said video could have been manipulated and until it was presented and scrutinised in court, his client was innocent of the charges.

Mr Dankwa said Ankrah, a “responsible father” with a wife who had a two-week baby, was not a flight risk. 

He said Ankrah had “people of substance” ready to stand surety for him.

The prosecution, opposing the bail, pleaded with the Court to send the accused to the psychiatric hospital as he told police he was not in his right frame of mind.

ASP Oppong said that based on Ankrah’s utterances in the video, he would be safer in police custody because his life was in danger in his community.

On him not being a flight risk, the prosecution said Ankrah was a squatter living in an uncompleted building with no fixed place of abode, but his lawyer said there were no uncompleted buildings in James Town.

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An 8-year-old Boy has met his untimely death after drinking poisoned palm wine at Awutu Bantama in the Awutu Senya West District of the Central Region of Ghana.

Information gathered by uniquenewsgh news indicates that the palm wine Tapper called Kwadee put a poisonous substance into palm wine after noticing that some people have been stealing his palm wine from the farm which is 100 metres away from the community.

In an interview with uniquenewsgh news, the Auntie of the deceased, Mercy Acquah said she saw the boy screaming for help so she quickly rushed the boy to Awutu Bontrase Health Center and upon checks, they found out that the boy has taken in poisonous substance.

Mercy Acquah indicates that the medical officers at the facility referred the boy to Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital but the boy died on their way.

She said, after examining the body it was established that the palm wine has been poisoned.

Awutu Bereku Police proceeded to the scene to take  samples of the Palm wine to the Hospital and it was discovered that almost all the palm wine was poisoned by the farmer.

No arrest has been made yet.

Deputy spokesperson of the Alan Kyeremanten campaign team, Richard Nyamah has urged the campaign team of Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia to resort to issue-based campaigns rather than stoking ethnic and religious sentiments.

It follows comments by Member of Parliament for New Juaben South, Michael Okyere Baafi calling on the leadership and supporters of the New Patriotic Party to consider electing party stalwarts who are not Akans to hold flag bearer position of the party.

The lawmaker who doubles as Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, made the disclosure when speaking at the official launch of “Women Delegates For Bawumia” in Koforidua, the Eastern regional capital. He opined that this will further strengthen the base of the NPP.

But the Deputy Spokesperson of the Alan Kyeremanten campaign team, Richard Nyamah disagrees. In an interview ,Mr. Nyamah urged Michael Okyere Baafi to set the pace by resigning from his position for a non-Akan if his arguments are anything to go by.

“The Alan Kwadwo campaign team wishes to challenge the Vice President Bawumia team to campaign on issues and on the competencies of the Vice President. We believe that he is a competent man but the question is what is the talk about he being the economic messiah, the best economics in Africa and all that? They should be propagating that. I think that will help the course of the Vice President than this ethnocentric, religious and tribal bigotry that are been sold at this hour.

“Why do I say that, the NPP has a tradition of loyalty, service and dedication because you have to prove that you are loyal to the party by serving the party over the period. Former President Kuffour put it aptly when he said that the NPP believes in an apprenticeship you will have to understudy your seniors and then learn at their feet,” Mr. Nyamah stated.

He continued: “The party is not a monarchy. We don’t operate on a bloodline if that was the case. I think the Vice President will actually be making a direct claim in the NPP to his father for the education of Hon Baafi the first General Secretary of the Northern People’s Party and founding member. So if we are going to make that claim based on heredity, why are they not mentioning the vital role Dr. Bawumia’s father played in forming the NPP, it’s curious. Because there are questions and answers to be given.”

He further stressed the need for the Bawumia Campaign team to stick to issues and not resort to stoking ethnic and religious sentiments in their quest to market the vice president. The New Patriotic Party is expected to conduct its presidential primaries on November 4, 2023, to elect a flag bearer to contest John Dramani Mahama of the NDC in the 2024 general elections.

Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM

Former President John Dramani Mahama has taken a swipe at President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for failure to tackle the canker of corruption in his six-year governance of this country.

Mr Mahama told supporters of his party on Monday, May 15 that President Akufo-Addo has failed in his fight against corruption.

For him, the 5th President of the Fourth Republic no longer makes ‘corruption’ his pep topic in his public utterances.

“[This is] because corruption has defeated him hands down.”

Mr Mahama was speaking at the University of Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale, Northern Region a day after he was overwhelmingly re-elected Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The former President polled a whopping 98.9 percent to beat Kojo Bonsu and Dr Kwabena Duffuor, who withdrew his candidature a day before the polls.

Mr Mahama said his fight against corruption will see him look further into the Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng report on the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) if elected in 2024

He said the report of the respected heart surgeon has opened a can of worms.

The potential four-time Presidential Candidate of the NDC suspects the current government will sweep the report under the carpet as Mr Akufo-Addo usually does.

He called him a “clearing agent”.

“We shall pursue this matter further and ensure justice is done,” he stressed on the IMCIM report penned on Friday, March 19, 2021.

Source:3news.com

The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) has raised concern over allegations of vote buying in the just-ended primaries of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Despite congratulating the NDC for electing its Presidential Candidate and 260 Parliamentary Candidates, GII said videos and reports of inducement of voters, though not widespread, marred the beauty of the primaries.

“It is on this basis that GII is calling for further investigations into the reports of the distribution of cash, gifts, and other inducements by contestants and establish the extent to which it is in violation of Section 20(1) of the Representation of the People Act (Act 699),” it said in a statement on Monday, May 15.

The Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP) on Monday invited an aspirant at Ejura Sekyedumase Constituency, Juliana Kinang-Wassan, for openly distributing cash to voters.

Backing the OSP for initiating the investigations, GII asked the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) to also invoke its powers under Act 29.

“We pray that the full length of the law is explored to control what has come to be known as the monetisation of the country’s elections.

“The Electoral Commission should also evoke its powers of disqualification to disqualify candidate(s) and Political Parties who fall foul of Sessions 240, 241, and 249 of the Criminal Offence Act, 1960 (Act 29).”

It called on all stakeholders to ensure that next year’s elections are held “with the highest standards of political integrity so that winners and losers will accept the outcome graciously.

Credit: 3News.com

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), has dragged two electricians to court for using the bar code of a dead employee to defraud unsuspecting customers.

The two, Perry Kumi Asamoah and Samuel Afful Kenneth on January 25, 2023, disconnected an ECG customer at East Legon for allegedly undertaking illegal connection and subsequently demanded her to pay GH₵3,000 for reconnection.

The customer, according to court documents called her husband on phone who sent the two accused persons an amount of GH₵1,500 and the power was restored. The customer later reported the issue to ECG’s Revenue Protection Unit due to suspicious conducts of the suspects.

Perry Kumi Asamoah and Samuel Afful Kenneth, using the same tactic, approached another ECG customer on May 5, 2023 at Ogbojo in Accra.

The customer however, called the ECG office for verification leading to the arrest of the two while another suspect only identified as Isaac managed to escape.

The two were put before an Accra Circuit Court and charged with seven counts of conspiracy, intentionally and knowingly interfering with the supplier’s distribution system of ECG, defrauding by false pretences and forgery.

They both pleaded not guilty and the court presided over by His Honour Bright Samuel Acquah, granted them a bail of GH₵100,000, each with one surety each.

The case was adjourned to June 1, while the prosecution was ordered to file its disclosures.

The brief facts of the case presented by the prosecution led by Paul Asibi Abariga states that on January 25, 2023, the two accused persons and the suspect on the run approached the complainant in her house and introduced themselves as personnel from ECG on metre monitoring operation.

It said the complainant then led the accused persons to where her ECG metre with serial number P18019458 had been mounted and Perry Kumi Asamoah, opened the meter and brought out a component which he showed to the complainant and claimed she did an illegal connection.

“Based on this, the accused persons disconnected the complainant’s power. The complainant pleaded for restoration and the accused persons demanded an amount of GH₵3,000.00 from her to restore the power,” the brief facts state.

It continued that the complainant informed her husband accordingly and he sent Gh₵1,500 through mobile money on 0277388827, Asamoah’s number and the power was restored.

“The complainant who was not satisfied about the conduct of the accused persons reported the matter to ECG Revenue Protection Unit and referred to ECG Investigation Unit for action.”

It further states that on May 5, 2023, the accused persons visited another ECG customer at Obojo in Accra with the same modus and the customer called ECG office for verification which lead to the arrest of Asamoah and Kenneth but Isaac managed to escape.

“During investigation, a search conducted on the two accused person revealed two identity cards bearing their names, photos with the serial numbers 193955 and 193954 respectively. Summons emanated from the ECG which appeared to be forged and one mobile phone which contained the Tigo chip that was used to receive the amount from the complainant’s husband.”

The brief facts added that “Further checks also revealed the Barcode on the two ID cards belonged to one late Kingsley Darko who was a former employee of the ECG. The accused persons in their respective caution statements admitted the offences leveled against them. Efforts are underway to arrest the third accused person.”

Credit: daily guide network 

Two persons have been slapped with charges for insulting a court at Tamale in the Northern Region.

The duo, Ahmed Abdul Fatawu Yamba, aged 32 and Nana Yaw Yeboah, aged 25, are facing charges of conspiracy to commit a crime to wit insulting court and contempt of court.

According to a legal document sighted by journalists, the said offences occurred on December 21, 2022.

They are alleged to have held up placards with the inscription “Free The Youth” and “Activism Is Not A Crime” in the presence of the district court judge and the whole staff of the court.

The document also added that whiles Mr Yamba is a student, his accomplice Nana Yaw Yeboah is an Operation Manager.

Read the court document below:

The Special Prosecutor has invited the NDC Parliamentary Contestant for Ejura Sekyeredumase, Juliana Kinang-Wassan, over cash spraying on delegates during last weekend’s party primaries. She is to report to the SP’s office on Thursday to answer questions on suspected corruption during an election.

“The OSP considers you as a person necessary for investigation. You are directed to attend the Office of the Special Prosecutor at 6 Haile Selassie Avenue, South Ridge, Accra on Thursday, May 18, 2023, at 10 am for interviewing,” a portion of a letter from the SP to Juliana reads.

Meanwhile, the Police Service has also indicated they are studying the viral video in which Madam Juliana Kinang-Wassan, is seen spraying money at a crowd during the elections at Ejura Sekyedumase, in the Ashanti Region. A dedicated legal team is currently scrutinising her conduct in the video to establish whether there are elements of an election-related crime to warrant Police intervention or otherwise.

The Police would like to assure the public of its commitment towards ensuring, peace, security, law and order at all times.

Police investigations continue after a woman was robbed of her car in St John’s morning of the 12th May 2023.

She told police she was driving alone about 3:45 when she stopped the vehicle in the area of St John’s Street. She then reports a lone, masked gunman pounced and demanded the vehicle at gunpoint. She was not harmed as the robber made off with the vehicle. Police say the vehicle was found abandoned hours later in the Golden Grove area; it is not clear at this point if anything was stolen from the vehicle.

This carjacking follows the theft of a vehicle 48 hours earlier in Potters New Extension. That vehicle was also found abandoned hours later. Law enforcers continue to urge members of the public to be vigilant and to minimize the risk of being a victim of violent crime.

Drunk driver jailed after he ran over cyclist in Haslemere

“My sense of loss is deep, my trust in my world evaporated, my sense of hope gone.”

These are the haunting words of a cyclist run over by a drink driver after he got behind the wheel of his car while four times over the legal limit.

Steven Selwood, 43, of Longdene Road, Haslemere was sentenced to two years and three months at Guildford Crown Court on Friday, 28 April after he was convicted of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and driving whilst over the prescribed alcohol limit. He has also been disqualified from driving for three years.

On 12 May 2022, #Selwood was driving onto West Street, Haslemere from a car park exit road when he failed to give way, striking the victim, a woman in her 70s, as she cycled along West Street in front of him in broad daylight. Not only did he knock her off her bike, but he also continued to drive his vehicle forward crushing her as she lay on the ground. A member of the public initially stopped his vehicle however Selwood decided to drive away before walking back to the scene. He was identified by witnesses and arrested by police.

2nd pic shows a comment he made back in 2018. 5 years later, he commits the same crime.

The male above known as Mequeal Murray has been said to be missing from the St.Phillip area, this information is apparently misleading as a person claiming to be his mother commented under the post of this missing man "My child is not missing please get the right information."

Others are also stating that the wrong photo was posted others are confused by this post.

The Eastern Regional Youth Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Richard Etornam Nyarku popularly known as Blibo has been detained at the Koforidua Central Police Station after a confrontation with the New Juaben South Constituency Youth Organizer Akorley Tei Mensah popularly known as Rolex.

According to sources, the two have always had bad blood as they have never belonged to the same camp in any internal party elections.

It is unclear what triggered the confrontation but the Regional Youth Organizer who was getting into the booth to take his turn and vote was pushed by the constituency youth organizer who accused him of telling delegates at the voting centre to tow a certain line when they receive their ballot paper.

Bilbo who did not take it kindly after Rolex shoved him then replied with a hefty punch which landed on the chin of Rolex sending him straight to the ground.

Rolex who gained consciousness was however prevented by the police personnel and other delegates who were in the hall.

The situation almost degenerated into a free for all fight between supporters of both camps when those outside the hall got the information about what has happened.

Police personnel who acted swiftly moved Richard Etornam to the Central Police Station where he’s currently being detained.

The General Manager of a private radio station in Takoradi, Godfred Mpusu also known as Nyankonto was Friday afternoon arrested by the police for allegedly stealing GH¢23,500 belonging to the station.

According to Inspector Iddi Abass of the Police Intelligence Unit in Takoradi, the Chief Executive Officer of the radio station, Mr Percy Boamah, made a report to the police that from December 2022 to February 2023, Mpusu collected various sums of money which totalled to the said amount.

He said Mr Boamah gave Mpusu the money to pay the salaries of employees, for rent and to repair the tower mast of the station.

Inspector Abass said Mpusu was said to have started giving one excuse after the other to the employees as to why he could not pay them their salaries including telling them that he had a problem with the bank account and that his mother was sick.

He said, Mpusu also created an emergency situation that the mast of the station was about to fall if money was not sent for repairs but did not repair the said mast when he received the money.

Inspector Abass said after two months when he had still not paid them, the employees reported the matter to Mr Boamah who was surprised that the employees had not been paid.

He said attempts to get Mpusu to pay the salaries proved futile as he continued with the excuses.

He was also said to have started playing hide and seek with the CEO which caused him to report the matter to the police.

Inspector Abass said the police had to lay ambush to arrest him to help in their investigations.

The controversial extradition of a Trinidadian, which has made headlines, is heading to the law courts.

Attorneys for Brent Thomas are preparing for legal action against the Barbados Police Service and the Attorney General.

Junior Counsel, Devesh Maharaj, confirmed the development to CBC News in a telephone interview from Trinidad this evening.

He said they have contacted a Barbadian attorney, but declined to reveal the individual's identity until certain matters have been finalised.

According to Mr. Maharaj, those preliminary conversations included how they would proceed with the matter.

Currently, they are exploring bringing a constitutional law case.

Based on the discussions with local counsel, Mr. Maharaj believes that in short order they should, on behalf of Mr. Thomas, be taking the first step towards filing a legal motion.

His comment comes two days after Barbados' Attorney General Dale Marshall in a Ministerial Statement, admitted that the actions of the Barbados Police fell somewhat short of the applicable legal norms.

Just yesterday, Trinidad's Attorney General Reginald Armour, also delivering a Ministerial Statement, indicated that the return of Mr. Thomas from Barbados to Trinidad and Tobago was unlawful.

Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley has described as “wholly unnecessary and out of place intrusion,” a move by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar to write Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley in the matter in which a High Court judge here said a Trinidad and Tobago national had been “abducted” in Barbados and brought back to Port of Spain to face criminal charges.

“The latest self-promotion of the Leader of the Opposition as an insertion into the business of the handling of the sensitive Brent Thomas matter between the Government of Barbados and the Royal Barbados Police Force and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service is a wholly unnecessary and out of place intrusion by the Leader of the Opposition,” Rowley said in a statement posted on the website of the office of the Prime Minister.