Page 14: October 8, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE police have arrested a businessman for allegedly defrauding an Accra-based real estate developer of $36,000 on the pretext of entering into a business partnership with him.
Although discussions prior to the collection of the money centred on the partnership with the victim, it turned out to be a fake currency printing deal.
Mohammed Kazim, alias Banjul, the suspect, was arrested at his New Gbawe residence on Monday by a team of police personnel, led by ASP Ebenezer Nketiah, in charge of Operations at the Commercial Crime Unit.
That was after two other suspects, Andy Odia, alias Julius Paul, and Razak Fulan, had been arrested earlier in September this year.
The Public Affairs Officer of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Inspector J. B. Darkwah, told the Daily Graphic that on August 23, 2008, the complainant received a telephone call, supposedly from London.
He said the caller introduced himself as Nana Agyeman and indicated that he (Agyeman) was trying to get in contact with somebody and accordingly apologised for calling the wrong number.
Inspector Darkwah said the following day, the complainant again received a call from Agyeman, who eventually told the complainant that his (Agyeman’s) boss in London wanted to enter into a partnership with someone in Ghana to establish a real estate business.
According to Inspector Darkwah, the so-called boss of Agyeman with Arabic ascent later spoke and confirmed to the complainant he wanted to establish a real estate business in Ghana with a Ghanaian.
He said the supposed investor later sent a profile of his company, indicating that he owned a chain of jewellery shops across Europe and that he also wanted to buy gold from Ghana.
Inspector Darkwah said the caller then indicated that he had sent someone he identified only as Williamson, described as a gold tester, to test some gold from one Nana Adjei.
He said Nana Agyeman later requested the complainant to collect 20 kilogrammes of gold from Nana Adjei and pay him (Adjei) $36,000.
He said Nana Agyeman explained to the complainant that his Arabian boss had sent $2.5 million to him (complainant) for the commencement of the real estate development partnership and asked him to deduct whatever expenses he had made on the 20 kilogrammes of gold from the $2.5 million.
Inspector Darkwah said because of the interest the complainant showed in the real estate business, he decided to make part payment of $10,000 to one of the suspects, Ofori Appiah, on August 29, 2008.
He said the complainant later made an additional $10,000 payment to another suspect, identified only as Atta, who is currently on the run, after the complainant had been directed to give the money to Atta by Nana Adjei.
According to the CID officer, Nana Agyeman and his so-called boss called the complainant on September 5, 2008 and asked him to meet two men around the Achimota Overhead Bridge to collect the $2.5 million.
He said the complainant, after meeting the two men, paid them the remaining $16,000 before collecting the box purported to contain the $2.5 million.
Inspector Darkwah said the complainant later opened the box and found black pieces of paper cut into the size of $100 bills and alleged certificate of instructions.
He said the complainant later called one of the men who had handed over the box to him, identified as Andy Odia, alias Julius Paul, to inform him of the contents of the box.
He said Andy then booked an appointment with the complainant to discuss how the black pieces of paper were to be washed into real notes.
Inspector Darkwah said the complainant, at that point, began to suspect foul play and immediately alerted the police.
According to him, at the appointed date on September 18, 2008, the police arrested Andy and Razak Fulan, who had accompanied Andy.
Inspector Darkwah said further investigations led to the arrest of Mohammed Kazim, alias Banjul, at his house at New Gbawe.
He said a quantity of black pieces of paper cut into sizes of dollar notes, fake pound sterling notes, forged documents from various institutions and a copy of the instructions manual sent to the complainant.
Inspector Darkwah said Kazim then allegedly confessed to having supplied the instruction manual to Atta, who later gave him $3,000 as his share of the deal.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Togbui Fiti granted bail in fraud case
Page 48: October 7, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
AN Accra Circuit Court yesterday granted bail to Togbui Amenya Fiti V, the Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Area, after he had been charged on two counts of defrauding two businessmen.
He pleaded not guilty and the court, presided over Mrs Ivy Heward-Mills, adjourned the case to October 22, 2008.
He was granted bail in the sum of GH¢15,000 with one surety.
Togbui Fiti was arrested in Aflao last Thursday in response to a circuit court warrant issued on Wednesday to that effect.
The warrant, with reference D6/537109 and dated October 1, 2008, was addressed to the police.
The facts of the case, as presented by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) P. K. Frimpong, were that the chief allegedly collected the money in two tranches of GH¢14,060 and GH¢21,090 for the supply of 5,000 bags of cement from Diamond Cement Ghana Limited.
He said Togbui Fiti, however, managed to supply only 1,000 bags and refunded GH¢2,500 to the complainant, Armani Garba, a businessman at Awoshie in Accra.
DSP Frimpong said some time in May 2008 the complainant travelled to Aflao with the view to buying cement from Diamond Cement Ghana Limited for sale.
He said as a result of the difficulties associated with getting the cement, a witness in the case advised Mr Garba to contact Togbui Fiti because he was a friend to the top management of the company.
The prosecutor said on May 5, 2008, the witness led Mr Garba to the private home of the accused in Aflao.
He said the accused took GH¢200 for the visit to his house and promised to deliver the cement within two weeks.
DSP Frimpong said a second businessman, Mr Abubakar Halidou, who is the proprietor of H. Lab Ventures, on hearing what had transpired between Mr Garba and the accused, contacted the same witness who led him to the residence of Togbui Fiti on May 8, 2008.
He said with the same representation, the accused demanded and collected GH¢21,090 for the supply of 3,000 bags of cement, paying the same price per bag as Mr Garba had.
He said the accused also took GH¢200 from Mr Halidou for visiting him.
DSP Frimpong said when the cement was supplied to the accused, he allegedly sold it to someone in Benin.
He added that the complainants made several efforts to get the cement supplied to them without success, adding that the complainants then petitioned the Director-General of the Police CID to investigate the matter.
The prosecutor said the accused, in the course of investigations, supplied 1,000 bags of cement and refunded GH¢2,500 but had since refused to respond to invitations from the police.
Story: Albert K. Salia
AN Accra Circuit Court yesterday granted bail to Togbui Amenya Fiti V, the Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Area, after he had been charged on two counts of defrauding two businessmen.
He pleaded not guilty and the court, presided over Mrs Ivy Heward-Mills, adjourned the case to October 22, 2008.
He was granted bail in the sum of GH¢15,000 with one surety.
Togbui Fiti was arrested in Aflao last Thursday in response to a circuit court warrant issued on Wednesday to that effect.
The warrant, with reference D6/537109 and dated October 1, 2008, was addressed to the police.
The facts of the case, as presented by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) P. K. Frimpong, were that the chief allegedly collected the money in two tranches of GH¢14,060 and GH¢21,090 for the supply of 5,000 bags of cement from Diamond Cement Ghana Limited.
He said Togbui Fiti, however, managed to supply only 1,000 bags and refunded GH¢2,500 to the complainant, Armani Garba, a businessman at Awoshie in Accra.
DSP Frimpong said some time in May 2008 the complainant travelled to Aflao with the view to buying cement from Diamond Cement Ghana Limited for sale.
He said as a result of the difficulties associated with getting the cement, a witness in the case advised Mr Garba to contact Togbui Fiti because he was a friend to the top management of the company.
The prosecutor said on May 5, 2008, the witness led Mr Garba to the private home of the accused in Aflao.
He said the accused took GH¢200 for the visit to his house and promised to deliver the cement within two weeks.
DSP Frimpong said a second businessman, Mr Abubakar Halidou, who is the proprietor of H. Lab Ventures, on hearing what had transpired between Mr Garba and the accused, contacted the same witness who led him to the residence of Togbui Fiti on May 8, 2008.
He said with the same representation, the accused demanded and collected GH¢21,090 for the supply of 3,000 bags of cement, paying the same price per bag as Mr Garba had.
He said the accused also took GH¢200 from Mr Halidou for visiting him.
DSP Frimpong said when the cement was supplied to the accused, he allegedly sold it to someone in Benin.
He added that the complainants made several efforts to get the cement supplied to them without success, adding that the complainants then petitioned the Director-General of the Police CID to investigate the matter.
The prosecutor said the accused, in the course of investigations, supplied 1,000 bags of cement and refunded GH¢2,500 but had since refused to respond to invitations from the police.
Torgbui Fiti placed in police custody
Page 32: October 4, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Area, Torgbui Amenya Fiti V, has been arrested for allegedly defrauding a businessman of more than GH¢20,000.
His arrest at Aflao on Thursday was in response to a circuit court warrant issued on Wednesday to that effect.
He is currently in custody at the headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.
The chief allegedly collected the money in two tranches of GH¢14,060 and GH¢21,090 for the supply of 5,000 bags of cement from Diamond Cement Ghana Limited.
Torgbui Fiti, however, managed to supply 1000 bags of cement and refunded only GH¢2,500 to the complainant, Armani Garba, a businessman at Awoshie in Accra.
The warrant, with reference D6/537109 dated October 1, 2008 and addressed to the police, noted that Torgbui Amenya Fiti V was accused of the offence of defrauding by false pretences contrary to section 131 of Act 29/60 and directed the police that "you are hereby commanded in the name of the Republic of Ghana forthwith to apprehend the said Torgbui Amenya Fiti V and produce him before the court at CC8".
The Deputy Director-General of the CID, ACP Ken Yeboah, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that sometime in May, 2008, the complainant, Mr Armani Garba, travelled to Aflao with the view to buying cement from Diamond Cement Ghana Limited for sale.
He said due to difficulties in getting the cement, a witness in the case advised Mr Garba to contact Torgbui Fiti because he was a friend to the top management of the company.
ACP Yeboah said on May 5, 2008, the witness led Mr Garba to the private home of the accused at Aflao.
According to him, at a meeting with the complainant and the witness, Torgbui Fiti allegedly boasted that he was the owner of the land on which Diamond Cement was operating and indicated that whatever quantity of cement he needed would be supplied to him.
ACP Yeboah said with that representation, Torgbui Fiti demanded and collected GH¢14,060 being the cost of 2,000 bags of the cement.
“This was with the understanding that even though the cement was selling at GH¢6.73 per bag, complainant should pay GH¢7.30 for each bag,” he explained.
He said the accused also collected GH¢200 for the visit to his house and promised to deliver the cement within two weeks.
ACP Yeboah said a second businessman, Mr Abubakar Halidou, who is the proprietor of H. Lab Ventures, on hearing what had transpired between Mr Garba and the accused, contacted the same witness who led him to the residence of Torgbui Fiti on May 8, 2008.
He said with the same representation, the accused demanded and collected GH¢21,090 for the supply of 3,000 bags of cement, paying the same price as Mr Garba per bag.
He said the accused also collected GH¢200 from Mr Halidou for visiting him.
“Based on this transaction, accused forged a letter on complainant Mr Abubakar company’s letterhead to the management of Diamond Cement requesting to export the cement,” he said.
ACP Yeboah said when the cement was supplied to the accused, he allegedly sold the cement to someone in Benin.
He explained that the complainants then made several efforts to have their cement supplied to them without success.
He said sometime in July 2008, the accused asked Mr Halidou to bring three articulated trucks to Aflao to convey the cement but it turned out to be hoax.
According to him, the accused caused the Aflao police to arrest and detain the complainants when the two men went to the palace to demand a refund of their money or the cement.
ACP Yeboah said the complainants then petitioned the Director-General of the CID to investigate the matter.
He said based on the petition, Torbgui Fiti was invited to the CID headquarters, where he allegedly admitted defrauding the complainants.
He said a sub-chief of the accused, Torgbui Kporvi, told the investigators that Torgbui Fiti sold the cement to one Alhaji Mulanga of Benin.
ACP Yeboah said the accused, in the course of investigations, supplied 1,000 bags of the cement and paid GH¢2,500 and had since refused to respond to invitations by the police.
He explained that it was based on that that the police sought a warrant from the court to effect the arrest of Torgbui Fiti.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Area, Torgbui Amenya Fiti V, has been arrested for allegedly defrauding a businessman of more than GH¢20,000.
His arrest at Aflao on Thursday was in response to a circuit court warrant issued on Wednesday to that effect.
He is currently in custody at the headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.
The chief allegedly collected the money in two tranches of GH¢14,060 and GH¢21,090 for the supply of 5,000 bags of cement from Diamond Cement Ghana Limited.
Torgbui Fiti, however, managed to supply 1000 bags of cement and refunded only GH¢2,500 to the complainant, Armani Garba, a businessman at Awoshie in Accra.
The warrant, with reference D6/537109 dated October 1, 2008 and addressed to the police, noted that Torgbui Amenya Fiti V was accused of the offence of defrauding by false pretences contrary to section 131 of Act 29/60 and directed the police that "you are hereby commanded in the name of the Republic of Ghana forthwith to apprehend the said Torgbui Amenya Fiti V and produce him before the court at CC8".
The Deputy Director-General of the CID, ACP Ken Yeboah, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that sometime in May, 2008, the complainant, Mr Armani Garba, travelled to Aflao with the view to buying cement from Diamond Cement Ghana Limited for sale.
He said due to difficulties in getting the cement, a witness in the case advised Mr Garba to contact Torgbui Fiti because he was a friend to the top management of the company.
ACP Yeboah said on May 5, 2008, the witness led Mr Garba to the private home of the accused at Aflao.
According to him, at a meeting with the complainant and the witness, Torgbui Fiti allegedly boasted that he was the owner of the land on which Diamond Cement was operating and indicated that whatever quantity of cement he needed would be supplied to him.
ACP Yeboah said with that representation, Torgbui Fiti demanded and collected GH¢14,060 being the cost of 2,000 bags of the cement.
“This was with the understanding that even though the cement was selling at GH¢6.73 per bag, complainant should pay GH¢7.30 for each bag,” he explained.
He said the accused also collected GH¢200 for the visit to his house and promised to deliver the cement within two weeks.
ACP Yeboah said a second businessman, Mr Abubakar Halidou, who is the proprietor of H. Lab Ventures, on hearing what had transpired between Mr Garba and the accused, contacted the same witness who led him to the residence of Torgbui Fiti on May 8, 2008.
He said with the same representation, the accused demanded and collected GH¢21,090 for the supply of 3,000 bags of cement, paying the same price as Mr Garba per bag.
He said the accused also collected GH¢200 from Mr Halidou for visiting him.
“Based on this transaction, accused forged a letter on complainant Mr Abubakar company’s letterhead to the management of Diamond Cement requesting to export the cement,” he said.
ACP Yeboah said when the cement was supplied to the accused, he allegedly sold the cement to someone in Benin.
He explained that the complainants then made several efforts to have their cement supplied to them without success.
He said sometime in July 2008, the accused asked Mr Halidou to bring three articulated trucks to Aflao to convey the cement but it turned out to be hoax.
According to him, the accused caused the Aflao police to arrest and detain the complainants when the two men went to the palace to demand a refund of their money or the cement.
ACP Yeboah said the complainants then petitioned the Director-General of the CID to investigate the matter.
He said based on the petition, Torbgui Fiti was invited to the CID headquarters, where he allegedly admitted defrauding the complainants.
He said a sub-chief of the accused, Torgbui Kporvi, told the investigators that Torgbui Fiti sold the cement to one Alhaji Mulanga of Benin.
ACP Yeboah said the accused, in the course of investigations, supplied 1,000 bags of the cement and paid GH¢2,500 and had since refused to respond to invitations by the police.
He explained that it was based on that that the police sought a warrant from the court to effect the arrest of Torgbui Fiti.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Police receive complaint on forged voters ID cards
Page 13: October 3, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE police have confirmed receiving a complaint from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on alleged forging of voters identity card in the Ejura Sekyedumase Constituency in the Ashanti Region.
The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Frank Adu-Poku, told the Daily Graphic that the police accordingly gave the complainants statement forms to write their statements for the police to begin official investigations.
He said the NDC officials were even at his office on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 “and we are waiting for them to return the forms”.
He, however, said as of the time he was speaking to this reporter, “I am at Agogo for the one-week observance of the late Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu’s demise”.
According to a Ghana News Agency (GNA) report, the Electoral Commission (EC) on Monday also directed the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to report the alleged case of forging of voters identity card to the police.
Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the EC, directed the NDC to submit a written report to him on the alleged electoral infraction for action.
He gave the directive to Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, National Organiser of the NDC, and Mr Mohammed Issifu Pangabu, NDC MP for Ejura Sekyedumase, when they called on him in his office to show him more than 122 voters ID cards purported to have been retrieved from a leading member of the New Patriotic Party in Sekyedumase.
Dr Afari-Gyan, after examining the document, said the situation was amazing because all the documents originated from the EC.
Mr Pangabu told the EC that the voter ID cards got to him through one Emmanuel Owusu, 22, the son of Mr Alex Manu, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Sekyedumase.
He said Emmanuel was heard bragging that his father had in his possession a lot of voter ID cards.
When he was challenged, he brought about 122 voter ID cards to those challenging him.
Mr Pangabu said Emmanuel was asked to go and bring the rest of the voter ID cards and when he went for the rest, the father caught him, beat him mercilessly and threatened to kill him.
Emmanuel was released by one of his brothers who forced the window open to let him out.
Mr Pangabu said Emmanuel took refuge with him while he informed the NDC headquarters in Accra about the incident and was instructed that for the security of Emmanuel and others they should come to Accra.
Mr Ampofo told the EC that they had brought the incident to the knowledge of the EC because of its call on political parties to assist it clean the bloated voters register.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE police have confirmed receiving a complaint from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on alleged forging of voters identity card in the Ejura Sekyedumase Constituency in the Ashanti Region.
The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Frank Adu-Poku, told the Daily Graphic that the police accordingly gave the complainants statement forms to write their statements for the police to begin official investigations.
He said the NDC officials were even at his office on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 “and we are waiting for them to return the forms”.
He, however, said as of the time he was speaking to this reporter, “I am at Agogo for the one-week observance of the late Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu’s demise”.
According to a Ghana News Agency (GNA) report, the Electoral Commission (EC) on Monday also directed the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to report the alleged case of forging of voters identity card to the police.
Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the EC, directed the NDC to submit a written report to him on the alleged electoral infraction for action.
He gave the directive to Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, National Organiser of the NDC, and Mr Mohammed Issifu Pangabu, NDC MP for Ejura Sekyedumase, when they called on him in his office to show him more than 122 voters ID cards purported to have been retrieved from a leading member of the New Patriotic Party in Sekyedumase.
Dr Afari-Gyan, after examining the document, said the situation was amazing because all the documents originated from the EC.
Mr Pangabu told the EC that the voter ID cards got to him through one Emmanuel Owusu, 22, the son of Mr Alex Manu, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Sekyedumase.
He said Emmanuel was heard bragging that his father had in his possession a lot of voter ID cards.
When he was challenged, he brought about 122 voter ID cards to those challenging him.
Mr Pangabu said Emmanuel was asked to go and bring the rest of the voter ID cards and when he went for the rest, the father caught him, beat him mercilessly and threatened to kill him.
Emmanuel was released by one of his brothers who forced the window open to let him out.
Mr Pangabu said Emmanuel took refuge with him while he informed the NDC headquarters in Accra about the incident and was instructed that for the security of Emmanuel and others they should come to Accra.
Mr Ampofo told the EC that they had brought the incident to the knowledge of the EC because of its call on political parties to assist it clean the bloated voters register.
"Put voters register on website of EC"
Page 12: October 3, 2008.
Story:Albert K. Salia
Representatives of three political parties have called on the Electoral Commission to put the voters register on their website to assist in the cleaning of the register.
This, they said, will also clear any doubts or suspicion from the minds of the electorate.
The three, National Democracy Congress (NDC), EGLE Party and the Democratic People Party (DPP) made the call at the first maiden meeting of the Greater Accra Regional Election Security Task Force in Accra today with representatives of the political parties.
Although all the political parties were invited to the meeting on the NDC, EGLE and DPP responded to the invitation.
The NDC was was represented by Flt Lt Nii Tackie and Ahmed Sharm while Mr Francis Lokko and Alhaji Abdul Moomin Abdallah represented the EGLE with Capt Philip Agbeyome (rtd) representing the DPP.
They also called for the opening of a channel of communications for a free flow of information among the parties to help build trust and confidence in the system.
According to them, constitutional vandalism arises when suspicion categorises election and urged the EC to endeavour to elimination all suspicions before and after the elections.
The Chairman of the Task force who is also the Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), James Oppong-Buanuh assured them that the security agencies would be neutral, fair and firm in the discharge of their duties during the elections.
He said the security agencies were a non-partisan body committed to ensuring that the elections were conducted in a safe atmosphere adding that “we cannot have a free and fair elections if we do not have adequate security and an atmosphere of law and order”.
He said to be able to do this, the task force had recognised the need to interface with stakeholders like the political parties, the media and the electorate in general.
DCOP Oppong-Buanuh appeal to the political parties to conduct their campaigns in an atmosphere of healthy exchange of ideas without fear of intimidation or molestation from the security.
‘We have had services of joint training seminars and exercises aimed at sharpening our skills and making them better equipped for ensuring law and order in the periods ahead’, he said.
He reminded them that the provisions of the Public Order Act which required that any person wishing to organise a public event notified the police not less that five days before the date of that event.
DCOP Oppong-Buanuh said the police could redirect the routes or location or asked for a postponement of the event if it was likely to generate violence.
He advised the youth of the country not to allow themselves to be used by anybody to break the law because the long arm of the law would definitely catch up with them.
A representative from the EC, Mr Mohammed Addoquaye, assured the meeting that the EC would do its best to discharge its duties as stipulated by law.
He said preventing electoral fraud was a shared responsible for all and not the EC alone.
He said it was the responsibility of political parties to restrain their followers from engaging in any political violence or electoral malpractices.
Story:Albert K. Salia
Representatives of three political parties have called on the Electoral Commission to put the voters register on their website to assist in the cleaning of the register.
This, they said, will also clear any doubts or suspicion from the minds of the electorate.
The three, National Democracy Congress (NDC), EGLE Party and the Democratic People Party (DPP) made the call at the first maiden meeting of the Greater Accra Regional Election Security Task Force in Accra today with representatives of the political parties.
Although all the political parties were invited to the meeting on the NDC, EGLE and DPP responded to the invitation.
The NDC was was represented by Flt Lt Nii Tackie and Ahmed Sharm while Mr Francis Lokko and Alhaji Abdul Moomin Abdallah represented the EGLE with Capt Philip Agbeyome (rtd) representing the DPP.
They also called for the opening of a channel of communications for a free flow of information among the parties to help build trust and confidence in the system.
According to them, constitutional vandalism arises when suspicion categorises election and urged the EC to endeavour to elimination all suspicions before and after the elections.
The Chairman of the Task force who is also the Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), James Oppong-Buanuh assured them that the security agencies would be neutral, fair and firm in the discharge of their duties during the elections.
He said the security agencies were a non-partisan body committed to ensuring that the elections were conducted in a safe atmosphere adding that “we cannot have a free and fair elections if we do not have adequate security and an atmosphere of law and order”.
He said to be able to do this, the task force had recognised the need to interface with stakeholders like the political parties, the media and the electorate in general.
DCOP Oppong-Buanuh appeal to the political parties to conduct their campaigns in an atmosphere of healthy exchange of ideas without fear of intimidation or molestation from the security.
‘We have had services of joint training seminars and exercises aimed at sharpening our skills and making them better equipped for ensuring law and order in the periods ahead’, he said.
He reminded them that the provisions of the Public Order Act which required that any person wishing to organise a public event notified the police not less that five days before the date of that event.
DCOP Oppong-Buanuh said the police could redirect the routes or location or asked for a postponement of the event if it was likely to generate violence.
He advised the youth of the country not to allow themselves to be used by anybody to break the law because the long arm of the law would definitely catch up with them.
A representative from the EC, Mr Mohammed Addoquaye, assured the meeting that the EC would do its best to discharge its duties as stipulated by law.
He said preventing electoral fraud was a shared responsible for all and not the EC alone.
He said it was the responsibility of political parties to restrain their followers from engaging in any political violence or electoral malpractices.
Litigation Centre opens
Page 14: October 1, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia, back from Abuja, Nigeria.
THE President of the West African Bar Association (WABA), Mr Femi Falana, has challenged the judiciary in the sub-region to use local cases as authority instead of always referring to foreign cases.
He explained that the continued reference to foreign cases was a colonial legacy that excluded majority of the citizens from justice delivery, remote and unrelated to their peculiar needs.
Mr Falana was speaking at the launch of the West Africa Public Interest Litigation Centre (WAPILC) in Abuja, Nigeria at the weekend.
The centre, which is a special project of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), seeks to promote, support and initiate Public Interest Litigation (PIL) efforts aimed at holding public officials and private entities accountable for acting contrary to the public interest and reforming anti-democratic policies.
Its activities would cover national, sub-regional and regional courts and other judicatory fora and serve as a resource base for PIL cases in the sub-region.
Mr Falana made reference to a landmark ruling of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) versus the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on the Public Order Act in 1992, which he used in a similar case between the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the IGP of Nigeria in 2006.
He said such cases fostered a good development for the sub-region especially in the legal field and that was certainly going to accelerate the integration process.
According to Mr Falana, the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mediation mechanism being presented as foreign initiative was indeed an African Dispute Resolution that was being used before the advent of the European judicial system.
A board member of OSIWA, Ms Ayo Obe, noted that public interest litigation would set the standard for citizens across the sub-region.
She admitted that best practices were found within the sub-region as they were found outside and, therefore, urged legal practitioners to send their cases and judicial decisions to the centre to be shared in the region.
The Chief Registrar of the ECOWAS Court, Mr Tony Anene-Maidoh, gave the assurance that the court would partner the WAPILC in its activities.
According him, such a partnership was essential because there could not be a rule of law without access to justice, adding that many ECOWAS nationals were not even aware of the existence of the court.
Mr Anene-Maidoh said unlike other regional courts, people could bring their cases to the ECOWAS court without going through their local or national courts.
The Executive Director of OSIWA, Dr Nana Tanko, said the setting up of the centre was to help improve the lives of West Africans through enhancing transparency in governance.
She explained that OSIWA initiated the setting up of the centre following requests for such a centre to fill the gap on PIL cases in the sub-region.
Story: Albert K. Salia, back from Abuja, Nigeria.
THE President of the West African Bar Association (WABA), Mr Femi Falana, has challenged the judiciary in the sub-region to use local cases as authority instead of always referring to foreign cases.
He explained that the continued reference to foreign cases was a colonial legacy that excluded majority of the citizens from justice delivery, remote and unrelated to their peculiar needs.
Mr Falana was speaking at the launch of the West Africa Public Interest Litigation Centre (WAPILC) in Abuja, Nigeria at the weekend.
The centre, which is a special project of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), seeks to promote, support and initiate Public Interest Litigation (PIL) efforts aimed at holding public officials and private entities accountable for acting contrary to the public interest and reforming anti-democratic policies.
Its activities would cover national, sub-regional and regional courts and other judicatory fora and serve as a resource base for PIL cases in the sub-region.
Mr Falana made reference to a landmark ruling of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) versus the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on the Public Order Act in 1992, which he used in a similar case between the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the IGP of Nigeria in 2006.
He said such cases fostered a good development for the sub-region especially in the legal field and that was certainly going to accelerate the integration process.
According to Mr Falana, the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mediation mechanism being presented as foreign initiative was indeed an African Dispute Resolution that was being used before the advent of the European judicial system.
A board member of OSIWA, Ms Ayo Obe, noted that public interest litigation would set the standard for citizens across the sub-region.
She admitted that best practices were found within the sub-region as they were found outside and, therefore, urged legal practitioners to send their cases and judicial decisions to the centre to be shared in the region.
The Chief Registrar of the ECOWAS Court, Mr Tony Anene-Maidoh, gave the assurance that the court would partner the WAPILC in its activities.
According him, such a partnership was essential because there could not be a rule of law without access to justice, adding that many ECOWAS nationals were not even aware of the existence of the court.
Mr Anene-Maidoh said unlike other regional courts, people could bring their cases to the ECOWAS court without going through their local or national courts.
The Executive Director of OSIWA, Dr Nana Tanko, said the setting up of the centre was to help improve the lives of West Africans through enhancing transparency in governance.
She explained that OSIWA initiated the setting up of the centre following requests for such a centre to fill the gap on PIL cases in the sub-region.
Man fathers five children with own daughter
Page 48: September 30, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
KWABENYA, a suburb of Accra, has been rocked by the bizarre story of a self-proclaimed prophet of the ‘I am-I am’ Nazareth Church, who allegedly fathered five children with his own daughter and murdered three of them in mysterious circumstances.
According to the Accra branch of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, which is investigating the case, three of the five children, who were all males, died under mysterious circumstances and were buried secretly after the suspect, Anthony Rowland Sampson Bleworda, 52, had performed some occultic rituals.
The daughter “wife”, is currently receiving treatment and counselling while their two female children have also been sent to a shelter for rehabilitation.
Briefing the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the Public Affairs Officer of DOVVSU, Inspector Irene Oppong, said during the early hours of last Thursday, neighbours of Bleworda saw the “couple” naked in their yard with the man running after the woman.
She said the couple later dragged their two little daughters into their room and locked themselves inside.
She said some of the onlookers, sensing danger that something could be happening to the family, broke into the room and rescued the two children and their mother to the premises of Christ Miracle Power Mission International at New Ashongman, on suspecting that the woman was mentally disturbed.
According to Inspector Oppong, some of the neighbours later handed over the suspect to the police for investigation.
She said the woman on September 26, 2008, openly confessed to being the biological daughter of Bleworda.
Inspector Oppong said investigations had so far revealed that the suspect, an ex-soldier, left Ghana in 1986 for Germany at a time the daughter was only six years old.
According to her, the victim was staying with her aunt at Teshie Camp and joined her father for about a month before he (suspect) returned to Germany again.
Inspector Oppong said the suspect developed interest in his daughter on seeing her and often allegedly laced drinks and food with Indian hemp for her.
She said the suspect would then sexually abuse the victim, something which she said took place for the one month duration that she stayed with her father.
Upon returning to her aunt, she said, it was detected that the victim was pregnant but she failed to disclose the person responsible for the pregnancy.
Inspector Oppong said the suspect returned from Germany the second time and took custody of the daughter to Brekuso in the Eastern Region.
She explained that on his first return in 2002, the suspect was staying at Taifa Burkina before relocating to Brekuso and finally to Kwabenya.
Inspector Oppong said the victim told investigators that she confessed to her mother about what had been going on between her and her father after reading from the Bible that it was a sin for one to sleep with his or her parents or siblings.
According to her, the victim, who is now 28 years of age, started behaving abnormally after the confession.
Inspector Oppong said the police had intensified their investigations and indicated that the Homicide Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) would visit the burial sites of the deceased children to unravel the mystery surrounding their deaths.
Story: Albert K. Salia
KWABENYA, a suburb of Accra, has been rocked by the bizarre story of a self-proclaimed prophet of the ‘I am-I am’ Nazareth Church, who allegedly fathered five children with his own daughter and murdered three of them in mysterious circumstances.
According to the Accra branch of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, which is investigating the case, three of the five children, who were all males, died under mysterious circumstances and were buried secretly after the suspect, Anthony Rowland Sampson Bleworda, 52, had performed some occultic rituals.
The daughter “wife”, is currently receiving treatment and counselling while their two female children have also been sent to a shelter for rehabilitation.
Briefing the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the Public Affairs Officer of DOVVSU, Inspector Irene Oppong, said during the early hours of last Thursday, neighbours of Bleworda saw the “couple” naked in their yard with the man running after the woman.
She said the couple later dragged their two little daughters into their room and locked themselves inside.
She said some of the onlookers, sensing danger that something could be happening to the family, broke into the room and rescued the two children and their mother to the premises of Christ Miracle Power Mission International at New Ashongman, on suspecting that the woman was mentally disturbed.
According to Inspector Oppong, some of the neighbours later handed over the suspect to the police for investigation.
She said the woman on September 26, 2008, openly confessed to being the biological daughter of Bleworda.
Inspector Oppong said investigations had so far revealed that the suspect, an ex-soldier, left Ghana in 1986 for Germany at a time the daughter was only six years old.
According to her, the victim was staying with her aunt at Teshie Camp and joined her father for about a month before he (suspect) returned to Germany again.
Inspector Oppong said the suspect developed interest in his daughter on seeing her and often allegedly laced drinks and food with Indian hemp for her.
She said the suspect would then sexually abuse the victim, something which she said took place for the one month duration that she stayed with her father.
Upon returning to her aunt, she said, it was detected that the victim was pregnant but she failed to disclose the person responsible for the pregnancy.
Inspector Oppong said the suspect returned from Germany the second time and took custody of the daughter to Brekuso in the Eastern Region.
She explained that on his first return in 2002, the suspect was staying at Taifa Burkina before relocating to Brekuso and finally to Kwabenya.
Inspector Oppong said the victim told investigators that she confessed to her mother about what had been going on between her and her father after reading from the Bible that it was a sin for one to sleep with his or her parents or siblings.
According to her, the victim, who is now 28 years of age, started behaving abnormally after the confession.
Inspector Oppong said the police had intensified their investigations and indicated that the Homicide Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) would visit the burial sites of the deceased children to unravel the mystery surrounding their deaths.
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