Day: October 11, 2023

Some angry supporters of Bronx Boxing Gym in James Town have expressed disappointment over Mr. Abraham Kotei, President of the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) following his poor management of the Ghana Professional Boxing League. This follows a tragic incident that happened last weekend in a bout between Emmanuel Quartey of Bronx Boxing Gym and Jerry Lartey of the Ghana Armed Forces at the Bukom Boxing Arena. At the end of the bout, Quartey was announced winner on a split decision after which the GBA President also declared Lartey as winner during a live interview. Mr. Carl Lokko, owner and Chief Coach of Bronx Boxing speaking during the protest expressed disappointment over the bias nature of the association towards the Bronx Boxing Gym. According to him, the GBA President claimed the reversal was made with other members of the committee after a short emergency meeting, which had been denied after an investigation conducted by some leaders of the Gym. He urged him to reverse the decision, in order not to escalate other legal actions. ‘Abraham Kotei had communicated several times that he would ensure Bronx does not this league so I went to him and he confirmed that he indeed said that,’ he noted. The trainer also urged authorities of the Ghana Armed Forces to take actions against personnel who turned up at the Boxing league to assault individuals. He said there had been several cases of assault on supporters who come to the Bukom Boxing Arena to throw their weight behind their favourite boxers. Mr. Yoofi Boomah, a legendary Boxing Administrator also urged protesters to remain calm as discussions would be held with the Ghana Boxing Association to get the issue resolved. ‘I will plead with all to exercise patience, we have to send a petition through our legal advisor to the President of the Ghana Boxing Authority.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

An Accra High Court has slated November 1, 2023, to take the plea of Richard Appiah, a footballer accused of killing two minors and keeping their bodies in a refrigerator at Abesim in the Bono Region. Appearing before the court today, October 10, 2023, Appiah told the court that he would like his plea to be taken in English. Appiah is facing a charge of murder. The court presided over by Mrs Justice Ruby Aryeetey adjourned the matter to November 1, 2023, saying the court would at the next sitting take the plea. The court also tasked defense counsel and prosecution to get ready to address the court as a seven-member jury was also constituted for trial to commence. A Kaneshie District Court in July 2023 committed Appiah to stand trial at the High Court. The committal came after the Attorney General recommended that he should be charged with murder of two minors- Louis Agyemang and Stephen Sarpong. Appiah, who initially experienced mental instability and underwent medical care, has been declared fit to stand trial. The prosecution said six witnesses would be called to establish the charge against the accused persons. The defense counsel would be calling two witnesses. Appiah is accused of gruesomely killing and storing some of the body parts of the victims in a refrigerator in the year 2021 at Abesim. The Police, during investigations, retrieved some of the body parts and intestines from a farm. The Police would be tendering the autopsy reports of the two minors, particularly burnt clothes and clippers of the minors and their pictures among others.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Sports Supporters Union (GSSU) – the umbrella body of all supporter’s union in the country, has given a five-day ultimatum to their National President Mr. Abraham Boakye to respond to allegations of misconduct against him or face a vote of no confidence. Addressing a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, Mr. Kassim Awal Osman, General Secretary of the Union, said the president was yet to account for donations made to the Union during the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup. Mr. Osman accused Mr. Boakye of misappropriation funds meant for supporters for the world cup. ‘Chipper cash donated an amount of $10,000 dollars each supporter’s body, from three African countries; Ghana, Cameroon and Senegal during the Qatar 2022, but unfortunately GSSU is yet to receive our share of the donation. ‘Again, the Qatar Supreme Council allocated 50 slots to GSSU for the World Cup, but only 20 were declared to the group. We want a thorough explanation to these issues,’ he stated. According to the General Secretary, the President also opposed a donation of a fully furnished office to the Union, by Mr. Kennedy Agyapong of Kenpong Travel and Tours without tangible reasons adding that the actions of the president had caused disunity in the Union. The General Secretary said, the President recently participated in a demonstration against the Ghana Football Association (GFA), which was against the ethics of the Union. ‘The Union finds the conduct of the President and against the beliefs and values as the unified supporters front in Ghana. ‘If we have any challenges with any sport in Ghana, we have access to the relevant bodies as well as their leadership, to channel our grievances. We do not endorse such demonstrations and wish to dissociate ourselves from it,’ he noted. He apologized to the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS), Ghana Football Association (GFA), National Sports Authority (NSA) for the recent misunderstanding among supporters during an international match between the Black Queens of Ghana and Rwanda leading to the arrest of two members. ‘On Tuesday, September 27, 2023, when Ghana Black Queens played Rwandan counterparts at the Accra Sports Stadium, there was a misunderstanding between Mr. Boakye (One Man Supporter) and the other groups, as a result Mr. Boakye’s group separated themselves from the Union. ‘We hereby render an unqualified apology to the Ministry of Youth and Sports Ministry, GFA, other federations, National Sports Authority and the entire nation for such an action.

Source: Ghana News Agency

An Accra High Court will on October 17, 2023, start the trial of Victor Stephen Nana Kankam, a landlord accused of killing his tenant, Benjamin Okyere at Ofankor in May 2020. The court is expected to call its first prosecution witness at the next sitting. Kankam, who has been charged for murdering Stephen Okyere by allegedly shooting him several times, has pleaded not guilty. The court asked Kankam, aka Nii Kojo Obo Schroeder, a businessman, to be on his former bail. The State will be calling nine witnesses in their bid to prove the charge of murder. At today’s hearing, October 10, 2023, the prosecution and defense counsel took turns to address the court. The prosecution, led by Mrs Sefakor Batse, Principal State Attorney, said it would prove its case beyond reasonable doubt that Benjamin Okyere was dead, and that the accused person caused the death by intentionally inflicting unlawful harm on him by shooting him multiple times at close range. It said the accused person, in his own statement to the Police, admitted going to the house of the deceased armed with a loaded gun. ‘He admits that he fired the gun, but denies intentionally shooting him to death. ‘ She urged the jury to listen with rapt attention and deliver a verdict depicting the truth and nothing else. The defense counsel said the accused person had no intention of shooting Okyere to death. According to the defense counsel, the accused went to the premises with a gun to talk to the deceased and not to shoot him. It urged the seven-member jury to return a verdict of not guilty on the accused at the end of the trial. The case of the prosecution was that the complainant in the matter was John Bosco Kotah, a friend to the victim, Benjamin Okyere, now deceased. The prosecution said the deceased rented the apartment of the accused located at Ofankor Spot ‘M’ on May 24, 2018, for a period of two years and his rent was due to expire on May 24, 2020. It said the accused had earlier on made it clear to the deceased that he was not going to renew his tenancy after its expiration. The prosecution said on May 24, 2020, at about 1:33 pm, the day of the expiration of the said tenancy, the accused wearing a bullet proof vest and armed with a loaded gun, went to the apartment he had rented out to the deceased. It said the deceased came out of the apartment to meet the accused after he (accused) called him out. The prosecution said the deceased was later joined by his friend John Bosco Kotah, who was in the living room of the deceased prior to the arrival of the accused. According to the prosecution, the deceased upon realising that the accused was armed with a gun, he asked his friend to call a police officer friend of theirs whom they had earlier on informed about the misunderstanding between the deceased and the accused before the fateful day. The prosecution told the court that the complainant went back inside to take his phone phone and while inside, he heard a gunshot. It said the complainant then ran out of the room and saw his friend lying on the ground in a pool of blood, with the accused running away from the scene holding the gun. The prosecution said the complainant attempted going after the accused, but the accused threatened to shoot him. It said the accused run away while the complainant with the help of a taxi driver rushed the victim to the Aneeja Hospital, Tantra Hill and later to the Police Hospital. The prosecution said they later went to lodge a complaint with the Mile Seven Police Station. It said the victim was pronounced dead on arrival at the Police Hospital. It said the Police visited the crime scene and retrieved plastic wads as well as empty cartridges. The prosecution said the accused person was arrested and a search conducted at his residence where guns, lives cartridges and the bullet proof vest he wore to the residence of the deceased, were retrieved. On June 10, 2020, a postmortem examination was conducted on the deceased by Chief Superintendent Dr. O. Owusu Afriyie of the Police Hospital, who gave the cause of death as ‘hemorrhagic shock, several chest injury and gun shot at close range.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Alexander Akwasi Acquah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Akyem Oda and the Chairman of the Ghanaian-Israeli Parliamentary friendship Association, has joined other Chairmen of the Israel Allies Caucuses worldwide to express their unwavering support for the State of Israel. In statement signed and presented to Israeli Congress, the caucuses Chairmen commended the courage and determination displayed in the ongoing ‘Swords of Iron’ operation aimed at neutralising the threat posed by Hamas and ensuring the safety and security of the Israeli people. It said the people of Israel had endured relentless acts of terror and aggression by Hamas, an internationally recognised terrorist organisation that consistently undermined peace and stability in the region. The Association noted that the operation ‘Swords of Iron’ represented a necessary response to protect the lives and dignity of Israeli citizens. ‘We firmly believe in Israel’s right to defend itself and its citizens from acts of terror and aggression,’ it said. The statement said the safety and well-being of any nation’s citizens were paramount, and Israel, like any other sovereign State, had the right and duty to take appropriate measures to ensure the security of its people for as long as they deemed necessary. The Chairman urged the international community to stand in solidarity with Israel and support its efforts to ensure the safety and security of its citizens. ‘It is crucial that Hamas and all terrorist organisations are held accountable for their actions, and pressure is exerted to cease acts of violence and terror that undermine the prospects of peace and stability in the region. ‘We stand united in support of Israel and its determination to protect its citizens and uphold the values of freedom, democracy, and peace,’ it said.

Source: Ghana News Agency