Day: June 28, 2024

Lawyers for Reverend Victor Kusi Boateng say the appeal against the ruling dismissing the application for committal for contempt of Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has not been struck out or dismissed.

They said the substantive appeal was yet to be heard by the Court of Appeal.

The suit sought to restrain the member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, from discussing him concerning the National Cathedral Project.

They said their attention had been brought to reports in mainstream and social media suggesting that the court of appeal had dismissed the appeal filed by Kusi Boateng against the ruling of the High Court on the May 2, 2023, dismissing the application, describing such reports as false.

The High Court dismissed an application for committal for contempt of the Respondent on May 2, 2023, and piqued by the ruling of the High Court, Rev. Kusi Boateng filed a Notice of Appeal on May 20 2023, against the said ruling, canvassing three grounds of appeal.

On April 17 2023, the Court of Appe
al granted leave for Rev. Kusi Boateng to file additional ground of appeal.

On April 19, 2024, he filed an application for the Court of Appeal to extend the time within which the Appellant will be required to file written submissions in support of the appeal.

The proceedings said on April 30, 2024, Ablakwa filed an application to strike out the grounds of appeal contained in the Notice of Appeal filed on May 10, 2023.

The Court said both motions filed on April 19, 2024 and April 30, 2024, were scheduled to be heard on June 25, 2024.

When the motion filed on April 30 2024 was called for hearing, Mr Ablakwa through his lawyers, raised an objection to the constitution of three Court of Appeal judges.

The grounds are that he had read in the Daily Post newspaper that another Court of Appeal Judge was supposed to be presiding on the panel and that the absence of that Court of Appeal Judge on the panel was an indication of an attempt by the Chief Justice to constitute a panel which is biased against the Respond
ent.

The lawyers said Mr Ablakwa’s information was that the Chief Justice was a church member of Rev Kusi Boateng so, he was not convinced that he would be given a fair trial in the matter.

Lawyers for Rev. Kusi Boateng responded to the preliminary objection saying it was not grounded in law and that no facts and evidence had been adduced of the alleged bias against Mr Ablakwa.

The Court of Appeal, after hearing the preliminary objection, also listened to the application by Mr Ablakwa to strike out some of the grounds of appeal.

The Court of Appeal then adjourned the matter to June 26 2024.

On June 26, 2024, when the case was called, the Court of Appeal dismissed the preliminary objection raised to the constitution of the panel as without merit with no order as to cost and also granted the application by Ablakwa and struck out some of the grounds of appeal and awarded cost of Gh 3,000.00 in favour of Mr Ablakwa.

The Court also heard the argument for extension of time to file the written submissions in r
espect of the appeal and granted the said application by Rev. Kusi Boateng with no order as to cost.

It ordered that the Appellant filed his written submissions in support of the appeal within 7 days from June 26, 2024.

Lawyers for Rev Kusi Boateng said contrary to the publications and social media reports, there was no application filed at the Court of Appeal or any other court to restrain Mr Ablakwa from ‘discussing him (Rev. Kusi Boateng) concerning the National Cathedral project’.

They, therefore, asked the public to disregard any publication or reports, which did not reflect the record of proceedings.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The ECOWAS Court President, Justice Edward Amoako Asante, on 27 June 2024, welcomed the Chairperson of the Community Audit Committee, Diane Holo-Sacramento at the ECOWAS Court.

The meeting marked the first official engagement between the Court and the Audit Committee, signifying a significant step towards enhanced collaboration and oversight.

Justice Edward Amoako Asante extended a warm welcome to the Audit Committee members, acknowledging the importance of their visit.

He introduced the key members of the ECOWAS Court team, including the Vice President, other judges, the Chief Registrar and the Director of Administration and Finance.

He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to discuss various issues with the Audit Committee, emphasising the Court’s commitment to transparency and accountability.

In her address, Diane Holo-Sacramento, Chairperson of the Audit Committee, expressed her appreciation for the warm reception.

She introduced the Audit Committee, which comprised members from Senegal, Benin
, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Guinea Bissau.

Holo-Sacramento highlighted the Committee’s role in overseeing financial control, internal controls, and risk assessment within ECOWAS institutions.

Since their mandate began in November 2022, the committee has been actively engaging with all ECOWAS institutions to ensure compliance with established procedures and processes, she noted.

Justice Asante provided an overview of the Court’s initiatives aimed at improving its operations.

He mentioned the Electronic Case Management System (ECMS) set to launch in late September, designed to reduce costs for lawyers and their clients.

Additionally, the Court conducts training programmes for lawyers and government agencies to enhance their understanding of the Court’s procedures, he mentioned.

Despite these efforts, Justice Asante noted the challenges faced by the Court, particularly in terms of staffing and resource limitations. He called for increased support to address these issues and ensure the effective functionin
g of the Court.

The Chairperson of the Audit Committee commended the ECOWAS Court for its efforts in complying with audit conditions and maintaining high standards.

She acknowledged the Court’s exemplary performance compared to other institutions and encouraged continued adherence to audit recommendations to further strengthen their operations.

Justice Asante expressed his gratitude for the commendation and reaffirmed the Court’s commitment to following audit guidelines.

He emphasised the importance of collaboration and guidance in achieving the shared goal of serving the community effectively.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides has hosted Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, in the national capital, Nicosia, to work towards establishing a framework for political consultations between the two nations.

The framework is intended to facilitate co-operation in areas of trade, maritime security, education, fisheries, tourism, and promote smooth visa protocols.

At a meeting held at the Cypriot Foreign Ministry’s Headquarters, Madam Botchwey informed Dr Konstantinos Kombos, Cypriot Foreign Minister and his team, of many opportunities being offered by the burgeoning Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), headquartered in Ghana.

‘We must explore trade opportunities between our two countries. I will recommend a visit by a Cypriot Business Mission to Ghana to explore mutually beneficial opportunities under AfCFTA,’ she stated.

The two leaders also discussed multilateral issues including the United Nations, and the future of the Commonwealth, the 56-member organisation, which Ma
dam Botchwey has offered herself to lead as its General-Secretary when Heads of Governments meet in October in the Pacific Island of Samoa.

Her candidacy has received strong bipartisan support in Ghana.

Cypriot Foreign Minister, Dr Kombos, commended Ghana for her position on issues of international law during her two-year tenure on the UN Security Council, which ended in 2023.

‘The Commonwealth is a powerful organisation, but it needs a different outlook and a new approach to make it even more impactful,’ Dr Kombos said.

The Commonwealth Member States generate over $13 trillion Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually.

Ms Botchwey, in response, said: ‘We must make sure that the wealth of the Commonwealth becomes common for all its members.’

She said the Commonwealth must be felt beyond election monitoring and Commonwealth Games.

‘The Commonwealth must support young people; we must train them in skills and provide them with financial support for innovation and start-ups to stem the tide of illegal migratio
n,’ she said.

Ms Botchwey, one of Africa’s leading diplomats, has made the issues concerning the future of young people in the Commonwealth key thematic topics for her candidacy.

More than 60 per cent of the 2.6 billion people in the Commonwealth are under 30 years.

Although most Commonwealth countries were former British colonies, other countries like the Rwanda, Mozambique, Togo and now-suspended Gabon without pre-independence ties with Britain, had joined, which, Madam Botchwey said, demonstrated the organisation’s importance.

Earlier, Cypriot President Christodoulides stated that his country shared Ms Botchwey’s vision for the Commonwealth, especially in the areas of trade and investment.

Trade volumes between Ghana and Cyprus currently stood at $1.8 million as of 2022.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ministry of Roads and Highways has announced plans to reduce traffic on the Accra-Cape Coast Highway’s Kasoa-Winneba section, which is currently being dualized.

In response to concerns by road users and the minority caucus, Dr Abass Awolu, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Road and Highway, stated that the Ministry had advertised a bypass to ease commuting on the stretch.

He spoke during a site visit by Parliament’s Roads and Transport Committee to the Greater Accra and Central regions.

Dr Abass also outlined measures in place to ensure commuters’ safety.

He said: ‘The Ministry of Roads and Highways, through the Ghana Highways Authority, is re-evaluating compensation for residents whose structures were demolished to make way for the dualization of the Kasoa-Winneba section of the Accra-Cape Coast Highway.’

‘Although some individuals in the right of way received compensation in 2006, an ongoing assessment aims to ensure that those who have not received compensation are fairly paid.’

Mr Kennedy Os
ei Nyarko, the Chairman of Parliament’s Roads and Transport Committee, urged the Government to expedite the payment of compensations owed to affected residents to avoid potential legal setbacks that could impede the dualization’s progress.

The Ministry of Roads and Highways initiated the project to address heavy vehicular traffic and frequent accidents on the stretch by expanding it into a dual carriageway.

Meanwhile, the Awutu and Budumburam Traditional Councils in the Central Region have expressed concern about the lack of compensation for residents whose homes were demolished to make way for the dualization project.

The traditional leaders also complained that the Government’s delay in compensating affected residents had left them facing significant challenges.

They made this known during a site visit by members of the Minority Caucus on Parliament’s Roads and Transport Committee.

Nana Kwame Banfo Dzaasehene, speaking on behalf of the traditional councils, urged the Government to take the affected peo
ple’s plight seriously.

‘People have not been compensated for their demolished buildings causing significant distress. It is unfair that no compensation has been provided. I am glad you visited us to assess the situation firsthand,’ he said.

‘Homes have been affected by the dualisation project, yet no money has been paid to those impacted. What are we to do? We urge the government to pay attention to this matter and provide the necessary compensation.’

MM. DeLovely Construction Limited, the Project Contractor, Kasoa-Winneba Highway Upgrading and Rehabilitation, indicated that the work would take 36 calendar working months to complete.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC), has donated an amount of GHc100,000 cedis to the Paramount Chief of Essikado, Nana Kobina Nketsiah for care of families of the deceased persons and the injured in the Ngyiresia fuel explosion case in the Western Region.

On May 18, 2024, there was an explosion as a result of poor handling of premix fuel in that fishing community which claimed five lives and injured about 13 others.

Dr. Dominic Eduah, Executive Director, GNPC Foundation, said the donation was in response to a request by the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr Joe Ghartey.

He revealed that the main aim of GNPC, constitutionally, was to ensure that the company’s activities had profound impacts on the lives of Ghanaians, hence the decision to support the victims.

Dr. Duah was hopeful that the amount donated would go a long way to assuage some of the financial challenges some of the victims were facing.

Dr Eduah cautioned fishermen to always observe safety precautions in handling premix fu
el.

That, he said, would help prevent fire outbreaks resulting from improper handling of the product

Nana Kobina Nketsia V, the Paramount Chief of Essikado Traditional Area, praised GNPC for its commitment to the well-being of the people and the fishers in the Essikado -Ketan area in particular.

He said, ‘Even though GNPC’s support is to benefit all Ghanaians, I wish that those of us in the region will benefit the more.’

Mr Joe Ghartey was grateful to GNPC for the immense support and added that victims of such incidents needed lots of financial support.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Samuel Tetteh and Abubakar Sadick, has been committed to stand trial at the High Court for murdering 21-year-old Private Sherif Imoro at Ashaiman by the TDC Magistrate Court in Tema.

The court presided over by Magistrate Mrs. Benedicta Antwi, first discharged all accused persons standing committal trail following an application from the prosecution to withdraw the charge sheet filed in April 2023, and a fresh charge of murder was filed against Tetteh and Sadick.

Consequently, Ibrahim Abdul Rakib, Safianu Musah, and Yusif Mohammed were discharged as their names were omitted from the new charge sheet.

According to the counsel, the three discharged individuals were only linked to the phone involved in the case because the two accused of murder allegedly took the phone from the soldier, sold it to one person, who then sold it to another, and so on.

Mr. Lawyer Abdul Fatau Abdallah, counsel for one of the discharged Ibrahim Abdul Rakib, told the Ghana News Agency that they were only involved in dishonestly rece
iving the stolen phone from the slain soldier as they bought it.

However, shortly after their discharge, Rakib and Musah were rearrested and placed into police custody to arraigned before the court at a later date, while Mohammed was released due to his minimal connection to the crime.

The facts as presented to the court when the accused persons first appeared in court in 2023, has it that Tetteh and Sadick, at about 1:45 hours on March 4, 2023, attacked the deceased at Taifa Ashaiman in an attempt to rob him of his phone and a backpack.

During the struggle, Tetteh allegedly pulled out a knife, stabbed the deceased in the arm, and fled with the phone, leaving the knife stuck in the victim’s arm.

Further investigations disclosed that Tetteh and Sadick sold the stolen phone to Rakib, who in turn resold it to the others.

Source: Ghana News Agency